


Shadows of Phantom

by clearmytime, teaseofnight



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ, Red Velvet - Fandom, SHINee, So Nyuh Shi Dae | Girls' Generation, Super Junior, f(x)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Corporate, Alternate Universe - Vigilante, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-06 13:43:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 27,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4223877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clearmytime/pseuds/clearmytime, https://archiveofourown.org/users/teaseofnight/pseuds/teaseofnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their world was filled with each other, but like everything else, there are secrets that tend to hide within the shadows.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Do it right next time!"

Everyone in the office flinched at the loud voice of their boss, nearly cowering in their cubicles as they watched one of their colleagues hurry out of his office.

It was well known throughout the office that their boss, though having the appearance of a handsome young man - enough to make both men and women swoon really - he was far from being an angel he resembled. Cho Kyuhyun was his name, also known as the 'Overlord' in the office, often talked about in hushed whispers behind their boss's back unless they wanted to get fired for not doing their work. There were a few, albeit rare, moments where he showed an act of kindness, and they couldn't really complain much as he was lenient with them at certain times, especially if emergency situations came up involving families or even personal situations.

However, there were always good times, and worst times.

Today was one of the worst days.

"What's happened now?"

At the familiar, soft voice of the chairman's personal assistant, everyone turned to see the man entering the office, his expression one of confusion.

"The chairman is in a bad mood again," Henry spoke up from his cubicle. "He just scolded Taeyeon for not doing the accounts properly."

"He also hasn't had his coffee yet," Victoria chimed in.

Sighing, the personal assistant, a particular Lee Donghae, gave a nod. He squared his shoulders, bracing himself, and headed to the chairman's office, knowing that he needed all the courage he could get when dealing with his boss.

After so many years of service, Donghae was already familiar with how to handle Chairman Cho's attitude and mood swings – the latter used very loosely as Kyuhyun was more often than not always annoyed. So many people had asked him time and time again why he was sticking it out with the Overlord, and all he could really say was that the pay was more than anyone could even imagine, which was exactly the only reason why anyone in the office stayed around. No matter how cruel Kyuhyun could be, the rewards for a job well done was beyond great, and it was more than enough for Donghae.

“I can not believe he's willing to go in there after what he heard,” Victoria muttered when Donghae disappeared through the door. “He's insane.”

“I think he's damaged and kind of on something all the time,” Key stated flatly just before Taeyeon ran out of the Chairman's office. “Here she comes.”

As soon as Taeyeon reached her cubicle, a series of profanities burst out from her mouth. “I hate him. I hate him. I hate him so much! He's the devil! He is goddamn Satan!”

The rest of the employees all shared knowing looks with each other, understanding what each of them were thinking. There was only really one thing that united their whole office floor (and possibly other departments of the company), and that was sharing hatred for their big boss. 

“What did you do this time anyway?” Henry asked, turning his chair around in order to look at her better. “Typo?”

“Worse.” Slamming the folder on her table, Taeyeon scowled. “I used a different font.”

Slightly exaggerated but not sarcastic gasps came from everyone in the room in reaction to Taeyeon's words.

“Were you drunk when you were typing up the accounting report?” Amber questioned. “You know he hates it so much when the format isn't followed. It's always been format and presentation. That's bullet point number eight in the handbook.”

“Jumping off a burning building is safer than walking in there with the wrong font,” Victoria said, earning a groan from Taeyeon. “Well, at least you're out there. Secretary Lee's finally protected us again from a flying plate of breakfast muffin.”

Taeyeon groaned. "I feel like I should hand Secretary Lee a plate of blueberry muffins, or something even better. Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Quiet out there!"

Everyone flinched upon hearing Chairman Cho's voice echo through the office, despite the fact the door to his office was tightly sealed. It made them cower and hide behind their respectively cubicles in hopes they didn't get scolded next.

The last thing they wanted was an ultra upset chairman who would not hesitate to fire any one of them. The last time he was truly angry, one of the interns — a bright young girl named Sulli — was fired after she accidentally ran into the Chairman (which admittedly elicited several shocked gasps from everyone). It had taken a good coaxing from Secretary Lee that she was rehired, albeit relocated into a different department where she wouldn't have to risk running into the chairman again.

However, it didn't stop any one of them from trying to listen to what was going inside the office, far too nosy for their own good.

Only to spin around in their chairs to face their computers again once the door opened, practically feeling the heat of Chairman Cho's anger resonating throughout the floor.

"Taeyeon," Chairman Cho called out deeply, earning a squeak from her. "Show me the fixed documents once you're finished. If you dally around, I'll be sure to relocate you."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"Henry, hand me the documents for the inventory files. Key, go down to the marketing department to get documents from Mr. Lee. Donghae, fetch me my damn coffee!"

Donghae gave a small bow, waiting until the Chairman retreated to his office before turning to look at Henry and Key. "You heard the man. Get going now before he decides to blow up the floor," he warned the two as he headed to the office lounge where they kept their coffee brewer. 

The tension within the office was inevitable every time Chairman Cho set foot in it. Being one of the most successful businessmen of the country on his own right, he had built an empire from the ground to the top, paying off the capital his parents had loaned him no sooner than a year since he began. It meant that his whole life was like a fast-paced movie that had no stop signs ahead; everything had to be right at all times as it was how he had created his whole plan.

Mistakes were unacceptable and unforgivable.

“I just have to say this, Secretary Lee, that what you're doing for the people of South Korea is admirable and brave,” Henry said, smoothly walking next to Donghae as soon as he stepped out of the office lounge. “You are our hero.”

“I know, Henry. You tell me that everyday,” Donghae dryly said. “Get back to work.”

Donghae's office was situated inside Chairman Cho's office. As the personal assistant to the Chairman himself, he was the man to get to and the man to pass through whenever anyone wanted anything from the young company head. Only a door separated them from each other, which made no sense most of the day as Donghae was rarely on his desk. His time was usually spent arranging meetings up and down the company, discussing documents with Kyuhyun, or running errands for the Chairman. It was far from just a desk job; it was his whole life cycle.

“Give that coffee to the less fortunate, Donghae. I won't be needing it.”

Stopping in his tracks, Donghae stared at Kyuhyun who was already on the process of putting on his coat. “Why, sir? Where are you going? You don't have any scheduled appointments outside of the company.”

“I've already signed all the important documents needing to be signed today and for the rest of the week. Other contracts are already in your care to be sent to my home. The reports I will be reviewing are not yet ready – no thanks to my incompetent staff, which is a reminder for you to memo the HR for possible new employees that are worthy to be in this floor.” Giving a short nod to the older man, Kyuhyun began to walk out of his office's door and out to Donghae's own. “Get the car ready, Donghae. I hate waiting.”

Shaking himself back to the present situation, Donghae handed the coffee towards the first employee they passed by on the way out of the Chairman's wing of the office. He stalked back for a few moments before rushing ahead as soon as they were near the elevator. Once inside, he stood by the buttons and waited for the doors to close before speaking once again. “Where to, sir?”

“Home,” Kyuhyun replied, taking out his cellphone when it vibrated inside his breast pocket. “The apartment is far enough from this goddamn office and its goddamn useless employees.”

Donghae's face was painted with slight surprise. “Home, sir? You don't usually go home this early. It's not even noon.”

“Yes, well, my back is killing me, and I can't work like this. I need a massage,” the Chairman muttered out a response just before the elevator doors opened. “For God's sake, Donghae, we're not in a speed dating session. I don't need your questions.”

All the people from outside the elevator quickly bowed in respect as soon as they saw Chairman Cho. As Kyuhyun began to make his way out to the lobby of the building, everyone he passed by all stopped in their tracks and bowed to him, not one of them daring to come out as disrespectful. Two columns of employees greeted the Chairman by the doors, all of them bidding him a goodbye.

“Straight home, Kibum,” Donghae immediately told the driver when he slid in the passenger seat next to him. “Take the short cut.”

The driver gave a nod of understanding before starting the car, pulling out of the garage as soon as it was clear.

The drive home was quiet, which wasn't surprising when it came to Kyuhyun. The Chairman never needed to use words, mostly actions to convey his feelings - more often they were actions made out of annoyance than anything else. His silence struck terror in his employees, and even his own business partners as they could never tell what he was thinking.

After all, it was always the quiet ones that proved to be the most dangerous.

It took a few minutes' drive before they finally arrived in front of a familiar building, shielded by the high walls and glass windows on the upper floors. It was one of the expensive apartment compounds in Seoul, close to the office, and yet far away enough where none of them could be bothered by anyone from the office. As Kibum drove into the familiar underground garage, Donghae saw how empty it was, knowing a majority of these people were still at work.

Once the car stopped, Donghae hurried out to open the door for Kyuhyun, who walked out without even saying a 'thank you' to either of his employers. His usual antics made Donghae sigh softly, thanking Kibum quietly before he followed after the younger man.

Again, their trek was filled with silence as they finally entered the elevator, Donghae pressing the button up to their floor.

"You can stop now," Donghae said quietly once the doors were shut, seeing Kyuhyun immediately slump down.

“I really need that massage, though,” Kyuhyun breathed out, stretching his neck out to the side. His eyes glanced momentarily at the camera on the corner of the elevator, a physical reminder that they were still being watched. “Can you schedule an appointment at the spa?”

“Why bother going there when I'm right here?” 

A smile appeared on Donghae's face when the elevator pinged them to the thirtieth floor. He stepped out and waited for the younger man to follow him before walking up to the door and inputting the key code.

The best thing about the apartment was the privacy it gave, being the only apartment on the specific floor meant there were no neighbors anywhere within short distance. Though the place was pricey, it was what was advertised to begin with, and just what anyone who wanted peace and quiet was looking for. 

But what Donghae and Kyuhyun really loved about the place was that it was _their_ own.

After several years of dating since becoming roommates in college, the two had moved in together just months before Kyuhyun hired Donghae to work for him. It was not exactly the kind of job that the older man, who had an impressive GPA and college degree of finance, imagined himself having, the offer was too much to pass up. Being crazy in love with Kyuhyun was the biggest push he needed to go through with it, ultimately defying his parents' wishes to work for their family business just to be able to stay by his boyfriend's side. (Though Donghae always did say that his parents were not against them, just him working for his boyfriend.)

“And we're home,” Donghae announced playfully, looking at the clock on the wall that greeted them in the foyer. “After four hours of being away from here.”

Kyuhyun released a loud whine just as he swiftly attached himself to the older man. “My back hurts. I blame you.”

Laughing, Donghae wrapped his arms around the younger man, hands already massaging his lower back. It earned him an appreciative moan from his boyfriend, and Donghae leaned forward to rub their noses together in a playful, yet affectionate way.

If anyone saw them now, they would most certainly be shocked. Unlike of how they appear to be in the office, Donghae and Kyuhyun had their personalities turn a complete 180-degree in the privacy of their own home. It wasn't how they originally intended, but after some tough years in college about how he appeared, Kyuhyun thought it would be best to turn his personality around just so that no one would underestimate him and his capabilities of running his family's company. It worked, even though the younger had admitted to Donghae that he didn't quite enjoy being called 'Overlord' by his employers - a worry Donghae had quickly washed away when the older man pointed out that it was okay as their employers would only be more hardworking in the office.

Just those simple words alone were enough to wash Kyuhyun's concerns away, especially when he had Donghae hide his true persona away just so that no one would be able to his boyfriend in his true colors.

There was no secret between them that Kyuhyun was exceptionally selfish when it came to his boyfriend.

"You're the one who wanted it rough last night," the older man pointed out as he led his boyfriend to the couch.

Kyuhyun grumbled, snuggling closer to him before obeying when gestured to lie down. As soon as he was comfortable, he groaned at feeling the pressure against his back, talented fingers already working hard to loosen the muscles in his shoulders.

Their life was beyond ideal and perfect for them. With no one paying attention to whatever they did, it was amazing. All everyone knew was that they were employer and employee who had a strong bond together after so many years of being friends. Even Donghae's living conditions with Kyuhyun was not questioned as his position involved actually being active in his personal life.

Relationship-wise, they were both extremely happy together. As fast as everything moved around them when it came to their work like, their relationship was far from that. They both decided to take things as they came and allowed everything to gradually culminate, until it ultimately led to them moving in together. Marriage was never brought up as it was not an option they had ever considered having. Their happiness was beyond that of a paper proof of a relationship, and what mattered the most was their love and that their families knew of it.

“That's amazing,” Kyuhyun hummed. “You're amazing.”

“That's what you said last night,” Donghae teased, earning a short slap on his thigh. “And that's also what I said to you last night.”

Pouting, Kyuhyun opened his eyes to look at the older man. He slowly turned around and stared at his boyfriend before tugging him closer. “Before anything else, your umma called to tell me to remind you that the Kwon Foundation's dinner party is tonight. You need to be there.”

“Why did Umma call you?” Donghae questioned, pressing a quick kiss on the younger's cheek. 

“Because you, apparently, blocked her number since the invite came.”

The older man didn't even look ashamed at his doing, causing Kyuhyun to shake his head.

"You know you can't do that to your own mother," Kyuhyun scolded softly as he ran his fingers through Donghae's hair, earning an appreciative hum from his boyfriend. "And it's the Kwon Foundation's dinner, too. You have to be there."

Donghae rolled his eyes, shifting a bit so that both of them were sitting comfortably, Kyuhyun seated on his lap. "We both know how much I detest dinner parties, even if it is the Kwon family. Did you already forget what happened last time I was invited to the Choi Donation dinner? It was a mess."

"Only because you seem to make it a habit of teasing their eldest son. He's not so bad once you get to know him, really."

"Jinhyuk-ssi is a good guy, and his fiancée is just as wonderful, but we all know that the Donation dinner was simply a bore," the older man huffed out. "Are you going?"

Kyuhyun made a face. "Of course I have to go. My name is on that list, too, you know. If I don't show up, it'd simply be trouble and cause bad press, and I have no intentions of disappointing my father at this point in my career."

"Always the obedient son."

Rolling his eyes, Kyuhyun shook his head and leaned forward to share a kiss with him. He hummed happily when Donghae returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck as the kiss deepened.

It took a few seconds before they parted, both of them breathing heavily.

"We still have the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves," Donghae hummed. "How about we do something...productive in the meantime?"

Kyuhyun turned red. "We are not having sex on this couch!"

"Who said anything about sex, baby?" the older man questioned with a smirk on his face.

As boring as their work life seemed to everyone else, their personal lives together were far from it. Donghae was the playful and adventurous kind of guy, while Kyuhyun was the pampered prince who did everything the older man wanted him to do. The big contrast from their work image was deliberate, but they had both agreed earlier on that living a double life was important for them. It may not be the healthiest thing to go by, but it made them both happy in that way.

Donghae took the initiative in everything, being the leader of the household – something that Kyuhyun willingly handed to him as he wanted nothing more than to just be attached to his boyfriend at all times. While the older man was the decision-maker at most times, Kyuhyun happily stayed on his little bubble of happiness that came from just sticking around his boyfriend, engaging him in everything him wanted to do. Their active sex life and jet setter lifestyle were just two things that were on top of Donghae's favorite couple activities that Kyuhyun had no reason to protest against, even if it meant long nights and bad backs.

“You're crazy,” Kyuhyun told the older man, lightly pinching his cheek. “I really have a bad back after that...thing...we did in the stairs, so I will rest for the meantime.”

Sighing, Donghae nodded and pulled the two of them up, carrying the younger in his arms. “To the bedroom then.”

Their apartment was huge for the two of them, which was exactly what Kyuhyun had wanted. Living with all the spoils of their large home, he couldn't detach himself from it and specifically demanded a big apartment when they began house hunting together. It was a lucky day when they found the place and had already made an offer right away, besting out the other five who wanted it, much to Donghae's, who enjoyed winning, delight.

The apartment was loft-type, with a staircase that led to a second floor that had their library and entertainment room. One of them was meant to be the bedroom, but Kyuhyun had immediately demanded for it to be moved to the first floor as he hated going upstairs to get to the bed. And as it always had been, Donghae agreed without arguments, fully expecting that the bedroom would be used at all times, which made its placement very important to him.

“For the record, I did not throw anything at Miss Kim awhile ago. That's her default look. Her looking terrified and cowering in the corner is by default. It's not on me,” Kyuhyun defended, looking up at his boyfriend when he was safely placed on top of the bed. “It's all her fault anyway. She's stupid.”

Donghae chuckled. “I believe you, baby. You're so adorable. But, please, don't call any of the employees stupid like that. Our screening process is very, very meticulous. By calling them stupid, you're questioning the ability of the company to find actual competent employees fitting that of the company's standards – standards you set up yourself.”

“But they're all just so stupid,” Kyuhyun groaned, throwing his tie on the floor and unbuttoning his shirt as he crashed against the soft pillows of the bed. “Can't we just fire them all and hire...I don't know...robots?”

"Only if the robots don't decide that you're truly an evil overlord who needs to be taken out," Donghae jested as he fell onto the bed beside the younger once he had taken his shirt off.

Kyuhyun huffed out in annoyance, rolling over to face the older properly. "But the employers there can't even do anything right! I bet you that Henry will mess up the inventory report, and Key will forget to get the documents from Mr. Lee."

Before he could rant on any longer, Donghae slid his fingers through the younger's hair, cutting off any rambling any longer. It was truly a sight to see as Kyuhyun - the big bad wolf of his company - turn into a soft lamb under Donghae's touch, nearly purring at the affectionate gesture. It made him crawl closer to the older man and snuggle, earning an amused laugh from his boyfriend.

"True, and I won't even bother taking you up on that bet, but we still need them, Kyuhyun-ah. Despite their...stupidity, as you'd like to call it, they're still very valuable to the company since they do get their workload done. Besides, I have backups for everything just in case something goes wrong, especially since you have that meeting with Chairman Jung tomorrow."

Kyuhyun nearly made a face at the reminder. "If something goes wrong in that meeting, everyone on that floor is getting fired."

"Relax, Kyu. We're home now, remember?" Donghae coaxed gently as his hands began to massage his sides. "Besides, what have I told you about stressing out over work when we're at home? Keep this up, and I will make sure that I won't cook you your favorite food anymore for a week."

The younger man whined loudly. “Don't be so mean to me. If you do that, I'll give your handcuffs to security and spread a rumour that there's a sex maniac in the building.”

“Honey, no. Not that handcuffs,” Donghae firmly said. “Never the handcuffs.”

Kyuhyun giggled happily and poked the older man's nose. It always amused him how his boyfriend just loved his stuff, especially the things he used for their sexual activities. With whatever Donghae bought and brought home, there was always some kind of sentimental reason why he would keep it around. There was always a struggle to pull anything away from him whenever cleaning time came around. But Kyuhyun found it sweet, singling out the times when he'd find the box of mementos Donghae kept of every single date they had together.

“I think you should style your hair up tonight. Like the one you had during your last family portrait session,” Kyuhyun suggested earning a look from the older man. “What? You looked really handsome then – which you always are, by the way.”

“I don't know...I specifically remember you making a face at me when you heard my sister say my ex loved that hairstyle on me,” Donghae recalled, much to the visible displeasure of his boyfriend. “When we got home, you sat on the corner with our dog and refused to look at me like I put you on time out. You were on the corner for hours.”

With a deep pout on his lips, Kyuhyun shifted his gaze away. “I hate your ex and I hate your sister. I know she doesn't like me. I don't know who I hate more: her or your ex. Your ex-girlfriend is a witch. I hate that she's super pretty. I hate her long hair. I hate her beautiful smile. I hate her slender legs. But most of all, I hate that she's a naturalized American.”

“Why?” Donghae asked, clearly amused. 

“Because I hate America...except their burgers. It's an awful country with...a rock mountain with face on it. I mean who does that? Who the hell thought that was a good idea?” Kyuhyun rambled on. “I hate it. A-And also...you can't drink until you're twenty-one.”

"It's a lot better than being allowed to drink when you're eighteen, though that never really stopped anyone, anyway," Donghae mused, running his fingers through Kyuhyun's hair again. "And America isn't that terrible of a place. It's got quite a diversity, and they're much more open to certain matters there than they are here - which is another plus. If we ever decide to get married, we can always go to California and have a wedding in a vineyard where we can get all the free wine that you like."

Kyuhyun's expression was torn being unhappy and excited at the same time. If there was one thing he loved almost as much as Donghae, it was his love for wine; albeit, Donghae had to tell him he could only have one glass of wine per week before their entire wine collection went out. It was hard to stop Kyuhyun from drinking when wine was out on the table, a memory Donghae recalled all too vividly during their years in college together where one of their friends had made the mistake of bringing it out during Kyuhyun's birthday party.

He swore it would be the first time he had seen the younger man looking so debauched when they made it back to their room that night.

"Well, if it makes you happy, I've got word that my ex won't be there," Donghae informed the younger man. "My sister, too, but that's because she's currently in New York for some fashion show."

Kyuhyun huffed. "At least there are some good points in that, but I do think you should still style your hair, though."

The older man chuckled deeply, leaning forward to press a kiss against the younger's lips. "I'll style it," he agreed, "but in a new way. I'm pretty sure once you see it, you'll get weak in the knees."

His boyfriend turned red. "I always get weak in the knees when I look at you," he argued, his eyes trailing down to the older's naked chest. "Especially since you absolutely refuse to wear shirts when we're at home."

“That's because I know it drives you crazy when you see me like this.” Donghae grinned teasingly. “But also because you've seen all of me, so what's the point of putting on complete clothes at home when they're going to come off somewhere in the middle of the night anyway?” 

“You're weird, but I love you.” Leaning down, Kyuhyun pecked the older's lips before rolling back to his side when he heard his cellphone beep. He groaned and fished for it inside his jacket, tapping on the new message when he saw that it was from his mother. “I'll be arriving at the party with my family, so I guess we should leave he house at five.”

“So that means that we do still have plenty of time for ourselves.”

Sending his boyfriend a look, Kyuhyun shook his head. “No sex in the middle of the day.” Putting aside his cellphone, he grabbed the remote control on the bedside and turned on the television, which opened up to the news. The headline on the lower part of the screen made him raise an eyebrow. “Looks like there's a gang out there attacking powerful and known figures.”

Donghae sat up, pulling the younger man against his chest as he stared at the screen. “They've attacked different events and ambushed several people.”

“Look, it says that the Kim family's only son was shot on the arm. I must've missed that news,” Kyuhyun mumbled. “This seems like an act of delinquency or anti-corporate groups. In this case, anti-corporate gang.”

Humming, Donghae nodded slowly before shifting his gaze back down to his boyfriend's face. “Baby, I can't choose between the white and the black suit. I think we should just subtly match. Do you know where our matching suits are?” He watched the younger man move away from the bed and walk inside the closet while mumbling something about suits before darting his eyes back on the screen. 

Tapping his fingers against his thigh, Donghae watched the news intently, listening to the details of the incident. He had been aware of certain ongoings in the city as of late, the rise of criminal activity rising almost tremendously in the small amount of time it had accumulated. While he didn't care much for it, Donghae's only reason of ever keeping himself updated with the news was simple — to protect his precious boyfriend. And he'd rather die first than allow anyone to harm the younger man.

He reached over to grab his cellphone, sending a quick message to someone before deleting the entire conversation once the message had been sent. Placing it back down, Donghae looked back at his boyfriend once the younger came out with their matching suits.

"Do you think it'd be obvious?" Kyuhyun wondered, gazing down at the suits curiously. "No one outside our families and friends know about us."

Donghae chuckled. "It's fine, baby. People would simply assume it would be a coincidence. Besides, with my status as your personal assistant, no one would question it much."

The younger pouted a bit before nodding. "Alright."

"Wonderful," his boyfriend sang. "Now, since we got home rather early, how about I cook up some lunch and then we can take a nap before the dinner tonight? Oh, do you have any news as to who will be there?"

Kyuhyun sighed and shook his head. "All of the socialites in Seoul, of course. But if you're asking about anyone we know, then the Choi family, and your cousins. I didn't even think Sungmin-ssi and Saeun-ssi liked parties."

"Well, hyung always did want to leave an impression on everyone just so that they can leave him alone about his 'questionable taste in women'," Donghae said amusedly. "And this is still a family affair, so they'll be there. You'll actually get to personally meet Saeun this time."

The younger looked worried. "She won't have anything against me, will she?"

"Baby, not everyone in my family is out to get you," Donghae assured him, standing up from the bed to wrap his arms around his waist. He rubbed their noses together in a gesture of comfort. "So, don't worry. Besides, it's not like they can do anything about it. You're mine."

“I am.”

Kyuhyun's happiness was Donghae right from the moment they met. While their lives didn't really rely on each other, they lived for one another in the sense that no matter what happened, all they needed was to be together and everything would be all right. It was that very reason that shaped up the life that they had built for them ever since college, and nothing changed for the worst since then.  
\- - -

“What is that?”

Kyuhyun made as face while he stared at the abstract painting that hung right in front of him. It was a splash of colours and some lines that formed nothing but a mess of a picture. But for whatever reason, it was one of the items up for bid that evening to support the Kwon Foundation's newest project for the improvement of schools' IT departments.

The party was much like any other party that Kyuhyun had gone to with his family. People who really didn't know each other pretended to be friends and made small chit-chat as if they're all interested with whatever topic was on hand. All the younger people talked amongst each other, bragging about their travels, studies, gadgets, businesses, purchases, and whatever it was that would make them stand out as the best. Though it was something he didn't really enjoy, Kyuhyun would admit to loving it whenever he won out of his peers; being a chairman of his own company at such a young age gave him so much advantage.

“It looks like something I threw up when I was in Venezuela,” Seulgi, Kyuhyun's younger sister, absentmindedly said. “Are you serious? The starting bid here is twenty thousand dollars.”

“They're using American currency?” Taemin, Kyuhyun's younger brother and Seugi's twin, asked in surprise. “How trendy.”

“Or pretentious. Is this even a real foundation?” Seulgi rolled her eyes and began to move on to another piece. “Oh, look, this is the item we donated. It's Umma's collection of expensive brooches from 19th century France.”

As his siblings rambled on and on about the display, Kyuhyun allowed himself to look around the room – mostly in hopes of finding his boyfriend. They had separated two hours before the party began to drive to their parents' house as greed upon with their families. Though they had been in touch since then, Donghae's family had no yet arrived in the party, which was not surprising as his mother tended to prefer grand, late entrances. 

“Kyuhyun-oppa,” Seulgi called, grabbing her brother's attention. “Donghae-oppa's not here yet?”

Kyuhyun shook his head, taking a sip of his wine. He was a bit upset himself that the Lee family hadn't arrived yet before hearing excited murmurs among the others. Curious, his eyes gazed at the doorway in time to see Donghae's family enter the room, looking as grand as ever.

"Oh, there they are!" Taemin exclaimed cheerfully, waving happily at the family.

Seulgi made a sound. "Always as grand as ever, though I'm sure that's only because of Mrs. Lee."

Their elder brother chuckled as he shook his head. "Don't be surprised, Seulgi. You know how she can be."

"I'm just excited to see Donghae-oppa," his younger said bluntly, almost causing Kyuhyun to smirk. "And just look at how every woman in this room is staring at him."

Raising an eyebrow, Kyuhyun gazed around the room and wasn't surprised to see Seulgi's words proven true. He knew just how popular Donghae was among the ladies, and even some men, due to his handsome looks and charming personality. Though his boyfriend was far from an idol, he was often treated like one, often being the center of attention even if he didn't want to be.

It both amused and annoyed him greatly.

"Donghae-hyung!" Taemin greeted when the older man made his way over to them. "I'm so happy to see you again!"

Donghae flashed the twins a smile. "It's good to see you guys again, too."

"Hyoyeon-unnie isn't here today?" Seulgi asked in surprise, looking around for Donghae's younger sister.

The older man shook his head. "No, she's in New York this week. However, there is someone else I'd like you to meet."

The siblings all shared a look as Donghae called someone over, surprise painting their faces once they saw a shy looking young boy make his way over to them.

"This is my youngest brother, Sehun. Sehun, say hello."

Sehun mumbled out a shy greeting before hiding behind Donghae's legs, earning coos from Seulgi. 

“Oh, hyung, he's gotten so much bigger,” Taemin remarked, waving happily at the shy boy who was peering up at them. “Hello. Hello, Sehun.”

Donghae's younger brother was a very late addition to their family, one which made questionable headlines for weeks since his introduction to the world. Many assumed that he was a lovechild of the Lee patriarch or someone they adopted; those harsh assumptions and rumours had prompted the Lees to make the big decision of hiding Sehun away from the public to be raised outside of Seoul, with Donghae's mother with him at all times. The truth of his origin was simple: IVF, but the Lees never bothered to clarify it and merely waited for the fact to come out naturally from the brains of the prying press and public.

“Can you drop him off at our house one of these days? I want to babysit him!” Seulgi happily exclaimed. “He looks so adorable!”

“You want to babysit? Since when? You can't even take care of your dolls when we were little,” Taemin told his sister in a teasing manner. “You'd only end up forgetting Sehun is at our house.”

Seulgi made a face. “I was five then. I'm adult now!”

“Oh, sure, you are.”

Donghae chuckled at the bickering of the twins and gently patted his younger brother's head before his eyes shifted towards his boyfriend. “This is his first public appearance since he was a baby, so it's a big night for him. Doesn't he look handsome in his little suit?”

Seeing the bright smile on the older man's face made Kyuhyun grin. “He sure does. And I'm sure Sehun would not enjoy this party, but I know people will find him very adorable.”

A short laugh came out of Donghae's lips while he nodded in agreement. “So...how's the party going? Looks exciting.”

"Oh, you have no idea," Kyuhyun remarked dryly, earning a smirk from the older man.

Chuckling, Donghae turned to Sehun when the little boy tugged at his pants. "What is it, Sehun?"

"Hungry," his little brother said shyly, hiding behind him when Seulgi offered to take him. He shook his head frantically, clinging onto his brother as if he was his lifeline.

The sight of it amused the older siblings greatly.

"I'll just go and feed him," Donghae said as he lifted Sehun into his arms. His little brother clung onto him, hiding his face against his neck, and Kyuhyun already felt a brief pang of jealousy at the display. "I'll see you three later."

Seulgi pouted, waving sadly as the two brothers walked away. "I can already see that little boy growing up to be just as handsome as Donghae-oppa."

"Are you kidding me? No one's as handsome as Donghae-hyung," Taemin said, sounding in disbelief. "Not even Siwon-ssi can ever come close to him."

Kyuhyun raised an eyebrow. "You just might be biased towards Donghae-hyung, Taemin."

"Can you blame me?" His little brother retorted. "You know that everyone here is just dying to get their hands on him."

Giggling, Seulgi sent her twin a teasing look. "Don't say that, Tae. You'll just cause Kyuhyun-oppa to get jealous," she sang.

Their older brother sent them an annoyed look. "You two know better than to say anything regarding that here."

The twins laughed gleefully before hushing when they heard loud coos in the room. All three of them shared confused looks, switching their gazes to where everyone was looking at. At a table, they saw Donghae crouching in front of Sehun with a piece of chip in his mouth. However, they gasped when Sehun ate the chip from his brother's mouth, earning more 'awwws' from their current audience. 

“Donghae-oppa really is so adorable with kids,” Seulgi gushed. “Just like how he is with your dog.”

Kyuhyun nodded. “Yeah, he does that with our dog, too. But at least it's cute to look at.”

“You must have lots of fun at home then, hyung,” Taemin snickered but quickly straightened up when their father appeared by their sad. “Appa.”

Turning to his side, Kyuhyun followed his father's gaze where it was settled on Mr. Lee, who was speaking with a group of men his age. It made his eyebrow rise in question, as if the simple action held a deeper meaning to it.

“Where's Umma?” Seulgi asked, looking at her father curiously. “And when does this party end? I'm so bored.”

“Your mother's with Donghae's mother right now; they're talking about the latest scandal that happened with this idol you liked, I believe.”

Seulgi's eyes widened. Quickly, she fished for her cellphone inside her purse, tapping on the passcode on the screen.

Mr. Cho smiled slightly and turned to his eldest child. “Make room for me tomorrow at lunch. I need to discuss something very important with you. Do not bring your assistant.”

Kyuhyun's expression was of surprise when he heard the last sentence that his father had said. Though it was not shocking that he'd want a one-on-one with him, his father very rarely specified that he not have Donghae tag along in their meetings. The one sentence alone meant that whatever they were to discuss was gravely important, not just for his company or their family's company, but for their family as a whole.

“By the way, Taemin here told me that he wants to intern in your company before working in our family's,” Mr. Cho related, glancing at his second son who was hovering over his twin sister's shoulder. “Do be sure to give him the best training you can give him.”

“Well, seeing as I trained under your impeccable tutoring and built my company through your guidance, I'm sure Taemin will enter Cho Enterprises with highly-trained skills,” Kyuhyun assured the older man with a gentle smile. 

Mr. Cho patted his son's shoulder and walked away in silence.

Breathing out slowly, Kyuhyun turned back and searched for his boyfriend all over the room. A small smile found its way back on his lips when he found him with their friends, showing his brother off to them happily. He nodded to himself and whirled around, quietly excusing himself from his siblings to join the group of people who had called his name out.  
\- - -


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

 

 

_“...was shot by a member of an unidentified group, who were fully clothed in black clothing and had masks on to hide their faces. This is just another addition to the string of attacks during several events held by organizations...”_

Hugging his pillow tight, Kyuhyun stared intently at the news report that was playing on the television in front of him. A look of disgust painted his face as he listened to the words of the newscaster, unable to tear his gaze away from the captured videos and photographs splashed on the screen despite himself. His mind kept replaying the events of the night before, still trying to get over the shock of what had happened and how fast everything played out.

“Baby, I told you not to watch awful news in the morning. Look, you're terrified, and you're making that face again.” Sighing heavily, Donghae joined his boyfriend on the bed and placed the tray of food in front of them. He frowned slightly as he looked at Kyuhyun. A hint of worry appeared on his face when thoughts of the younger man possibly experiencing trauma popped in his mind. “Just forget about it, okay? We're already skipping work today because of what happened. I think you should just relax.”

Kyuhyun didn't say anything, not that Donghae had expected him to. After what happened at the Foundation dinner party, everyone was sure to be on their guard, especially after one of the daughters of another family got shot. It had happened all too fast, nothing but chaos and disorder ensuing as everyone fought to simply survive the night. It had been a miracle when someone had managed to come and warded the terrorists away.

"As of right now, this so-called vigilante is being wanted by the government for his illegal use of fighting crime, and under suspicions that he may be allied with these terrorist groups."

Donghae hummed softly as he hugged Kyuhyun to him. "Kyuhyun."

"It just...it was terrifying," his boyfriend said in a hushed whisper. "I've never felt so scared in my life, and I can't help but think about what would've happened if those terrorists stayed."

Pressing a kiss against the younger's temple, Donghae nuzzled his neck. "It's best not to think about that; otherwise, it'll be the only thing you'll ever think about."

Kyuhyun shook his head and curled against his boyfriend, seeking the comfort that only he could provide.

"Do you still want to have lunch with your father?" the older man asked, rubbing his back. "It'll do you some good to keep yourself focused on something else."

"What about you? Appa won't let me bring you with."

"I'll just be a good assistant and wait for you outside," Donghae said with a smile. "Or maybe at home."

Kyuhyun was hesitant, but he knew Donghae's words spoke the truth. Having lunch with his father meant allowing his mind to focus on one thing, not mulling over various scenarios in which all of them end badly. He pulled back and nodded. "Make a call to my father and make a reservation at the restaurant that he likes. Be sure to book a private room."

"As my boss commands." With a smile, Donghae pressed a kiss against his cheek. "Go shower while I make the calls."

Donghae chuckled and waved at the younger man who jogged away from him and into the bathroom. The simple action made him sigh in relief that his boyfriend was still calm enough to function well. With Kyuhyun's history, it was always a measure of high and low when it came to him dealing with certain serious matters – the attack being in that category. 

Looking back at the television, Donghae reached towards the remote and switched it off while his other hand was already tapping on the screen of his cellphone. After a brief conversation with Mr. Cho and a confirmation of his reservation in the restaurant of his boyfriend's father's choice, he finally set down the device just as the doorbell of the apartment rang. 

“What in the world...” As soon as he pulled opened the door, a wide smile already found its way on Donghae's lips like reflex when he greeted the person on the other side. “Hyoyeon, this is certainly a surprise.”

“Aren't you?” Hyoyeon giggled. “Good morning, oppa! I missed you so much!”

Donghae laughed in a breathy manner as he hugged his sister tightly, feeling her reciprocate the act intensely. “I thought you were in New York.”

“I was, but I flew back earlier because there's something Umma wants me to do for her regarding the annual debutante ball,” his sister related excitedly, the glee on her face evident. “As you know, our family has been the host and sponsor of the debutante ball for decades, and this year, I've been selected to be in the committee!”

“That's...great!” 

Donghae managed a smile, forcing the excitement as best as he could. He had already been in two debutante balls in his whole life, and both times were spent as an escort for his sister and his ex-girlfriend. The memories he had in both times were nowhere near memorable, and he was somewhere close to saying that he hated them, but thought better of it for the sake of his mother and sister.

“So...what brings you here this early? I'd thought you'd be busy working on this debutante stuff,” Donghae chimed in after leading the younger inside the living room. “And before you ask, I'm not helping in any way whatsoever, not even as contact of any sorts.”

Hyoyeon laughed while shaking her head. “No, oppa, I'm not here to ask for your help. I'm actually here for that person you call your boyfriend.”

“Hyo...”

“Whatever.” Rolling her eyes, Hyoyeon took out an envelope from her purse and set it down on the coffee table. “His sister is one of the debutantes this year, and I need the signature from a legal parent or guardian of hers to confirm her slot. Because you know this costs a ton of money to secure a place, so we'll need certification that the donation has been made. Unfortunately, I cannot get in touch with the parents because they're both super busy; that leaves the older brother, who is more accessible because he's getting fucked by my older brother.”

“Hyoyeon,” Donghae firmly called out, his expression already stern. “That language and tone are not accepted in this house.” 

“What? I was just stating facts. It's not like I made something up.” Grumbling, Hyoyeon shook her head and stood up from the couch, grabbing the envelope from the table. “Can you just get him to sign this right now? I really don't want to be in your love nest or...romp nest or whatever.”

Shaking his head, the older man breathed out a sigh. "He's currently in the shower. You're going to have to wait a few more minutes if you want that signed."

Hyoyeon immediately made a face. "You sure do know how to torture me, don't you, Oppa?"

"It wouldn't be called familial love if I don't." Flashing her a smile, he merely gestured her to sit back down on the couch. "Besides, it won't be long. Kyuhyun has a meeting with his father today, and he can't afford to be late right now."

His sister pressed her lips together, leaning back against the cushion. "I heard about what happened at the Foundation dinner party last night. Umma had called to inform me of it just hours after the incident."

"Well, it certainly took everyone by surprise."

"And you're handling it just fine?"

Donghae gave her a smirk. "Hyo, we both know that unless it's something against the people I love, I don't give much thought to it. Besides, all of these terrorist groups will be taken down eventually."

Sighing heavily, his younger sister rolled her eyes. She gave her brother a look, one he returned with a charming smile. It was a moment where they didn't need words to get their point across - it was often something that freaked out everyone who knew about them as Donghae and Hyoyeon weren't as close as many people believed, but they understood each other in ways where it seemed as if they could be twins.

"So, will Taemin be acting as Seulgi's escort to the debutante?"

Hyoyeon gave a shrug. "Most likely. Either that or her older brother. Though, I'd like to bet she'd ask you, too, Oppa, just so that she can show off the fact that she knows you well."

“It's not something to be proud of, Hyoyeon. Seulgi's family is well-known enough for her to show off anyone and it'll be big news. Besides, showing off her own older brother would leave a bigger impact seeing as he's a hot shot CEO,” Donghae stated. “Besides, I swore to myself that I would never set foot in that occasion ever again.”

A displeased look flashed on Hyoyeon's face. “You're no fun ever since you started sleeping with him.”

Donghae released an exasperated sigh, preparing himself for the incoming blow up. For whatever reason, his sister always found a way to weasel in a little lecture about his life choices that spanned his dating history with Kyuhyun up to that moment in time. It was like a talent that she had cultivated for so many years – a talent so vicious and irritating.

“Hyoyeon, it's nine in the morning. I don't need this right now,” Donghae muttered. “Kyuhyun's going to be out soon, so you'll be out of here, too. Please, don't start.”

“Sure, but just think about it! You're working for minimum wage!” The younger's face was painted with incredulity like she had rehearsed so many times before for that specific topic at hand. “It's appalling!”

“For the last time, I do not work for minimum wage. Does this apartment look like it was bought through minimum wage salary?” Waving his arms around, Donghae looked at his sister with wide eyes. “Hyo, I love you forever and ever, but you need to drop this negative attitude you have over my boyfriend of so many goddamn years. We're not breaking up, whatever you say won't make me leave him, and I am never getting back together with Krystal.”

“But–”

“Uhm...hello?”

The siblings both snapped their mouths shut as Kyuhyun came walking out, fully dressed as if prepared to go to a meeting.

Kyuhyun immediately looked displeased to see Hyoyeon, an expression she mirrored back to him.

It wasn't a secret between their families that the two didn't like each other — something born from Hyoyeon's end that Kyuhyun simply reciprocated over time. It had even become a running bet between their parents to figure out which one of them would blow up more. The two of them acted civil with one another when it came to appearances in public and to their families, but their displeasure revealed itself whenever they were stuck in a room with each other, even in just a short amount of time, or when Donghae was stuck in the room with them.

However, they tried their best not to start yelling at each other for Donghae's sake as he could very well get tired of them both and leave them.

"Hyoyeon-ssi," Kyuhyun greeted in a polite tone after sending his boyfriend a look, one the older returned with a heavy sigh. "What brings you here? Donghae's told me that you were in New York."

The youngest in the room flashed a smile, much like a shark's grin than anything else. "I was, but I had to take an early flight back for the upcoming debutante ball," she informed. "And I've come for your signature for your permission regarding Seulgi since your parents are far too busy to meet me on such short notice."

"And what makes you think I'm not?"

"I figured I'd take a leap of faith considering that you're my darling brother's boyfriend."

Donghae glanced between the two, already feeling a headache coming up from the building tension.

Kyuhyun seemed to notice as he flashed a polite smile. "Of course, anything for my sister. I trust you'll make it grand."

"No need to ever doubt my abilities, Kyuhyun-ssi," Hyoyeon retorted kindly. "Now, if you please sign, I'll be out of your hair in no time, and I won't have to stay here any longer in your love nest."

The Chairman's eye twitched but took the documents from Hyoyeon, accepting the pen his boyfriend had grabbed for him, and signed the documents after a quick skim.

As he handed it back to her, Hyoyeon gave a bow. "Thank you." She turned to her brother and gave him a tight hug, accompanied by a kiss on the cheek. "See you later, Oppa! We should grab lunch sometime this week."

"Just pick a date and time," Donghae called after his sister as she left the apartment.

Kyuhyun crossed his arms, his expression changing. "She talked about me again, didn't she?"

Donghae sighed once again, stepping in front of his boyfriend and placing his arms around his waist. “Baby, there are only two things she talks about around me: something she bought or will buy and how much she despises you.”

Clicking his tongue, Kyuhyun scowled. “I don't know what her problem is. I've always been very polite to her, even though she's younger than me. She's so difficult. Your parents were easy compared to her.”

“Well, she's a different person and can think for herself, so she's not the same as our parents. But, hey, forget about it already. Let's have that breakfast first since you have three more hours before you leave.” A bright grin appeared on the older man's lips. “I made all your favorites.”

Kyuhyun pouted before nodding and allowing the older man to take him back to the bedroom.  
\- - -

_“Mayor of Seoul?” Kyuhyun froze in his place, the shock still sinking in slowly inside of him. “B-But t-that's...”_

_“The announcement will be made sometime in the next few weeks without a doubt. I wanted you to hear it from me because I want to inform you this early that I do not wish to have our family's company be involved with the election no matter what,” Mr. Cho firmly said, his gaze settled on his son. “And I expect you to do the same for your company.”_

_Blinking, Kyuhyun remained quiet._

_“We will only give moral support and not financial support nor public support. Our family's company will remain unbiased once the campaign begins. I want you to remember this, especially since you're dating their son. I'm sure it'd be better if you tell him this yourself.”_

Kyuhyun did not expect to hear anything relating to politics when he agreed to meet his father for lunch. Though their family was known, they were not involved in politics, and it had been that way for generations – which was exactly what his father had wanted to remind him of. It was not a tricky subject, but what his father was worried about what the fact that the candidate running was Donghae's father, and Kyuhyun's involvement with him could possibly be exposed to the public in the event the opposing team wanted to get dirty. That was what Mr. Cho wanted to warn him about.

Stepping inside the apartment, Kyuhyun let out a deep sigh as he leaned against the door. Over and over again, he kept telling himself to calm down and relax, that everything was going to all right like it always had been. But even then, there was still that nagging feeling inside of him that bothered him so much, almost making him want to hide in an empty room and scream.

“Oh, baby, you're home.”

Snapping out of his thoughts at the sudden greeting, the Chairman looked up to find his boyfriend walking over to him with their tiny puppy in his arms. “Hey.”

“Hey, look, Bada's home. Umma's driver dropped her off when you left.” Stopping in front of the younger man, Donghae pressed a tender kiss on his lips. “How was the lunch?”

The question nearly made Kyuhyun frown. “It was...uhm...It was fine. But I...uhm...I kind of need to talk to you about that. Can we head inside?”

For a moment Donghae didn't say anything, but then he nodded and took a seat on the couch.

Kyuhyun felt nervous about talking about this to his boyfriend, but he knew Donghae had the right to know. Their relationship would become threatened and exposed as a means of hoping to take Mr. Lee down for mayor, so they both had to be even more careful.

"Your father's running for mayor," he ended up blurting out, eyes widening at his own mistake.

However, he was more surprised to see no reaction coming from his own boyfriend. Donghae didn't even look surprised at all; in fact, he just sighed heavily, his head shaking.

"So he did go through with it."

"You knew?" Kyuhyun voiced out in surprise as he took a seat next to his boyfriend. "Since when?"

Donghae made a face. "A month ago when I had to go to that family dinner, remember? Appa had wanted to tell me that he was thinking about running for mayor because he was hoping it'll change my mind and make me finally run the company. I guess he did go through with it."

The younger bit his lip. "But this also means that we're in danger, especially since you're his son, and they'll use any means to expose him."

That seemed to amuse his boyfriend as Donghae brought him closer and kissed his cheek. "Baby, don't worry about that. No matter what we do, there's nothing they can do to threaten my father, even if it means exposing us."

"You're so confident."

The older man laughed, simply holding him tighter. He wasn't lying when he saw his father could care less about him being his dirty little secret — his father had numerous backup plans in the incident that it did happen. However, Donghae knew just how frightening it was for his boyfriend if they came under scrutiny. His position as Kyuhyun's personal assistant already raised some eyebrows in their world, many of them not too pleased that one of the finest men in Seoul resorted to being a lowly assistant for another company.

Not that Donghae cared in the long run.

"So, what do you propose we do?" Donghae wondered. "Because the announcement for the candidates will happen soon, and I know that if you're constantly seen with me, it'll cause trouble."

Kyuhyun scowled. "You're my assistant. That's not going to change."

"No, but we can do a substitution until this blows over."

There was something that flashed in the younger's eyes and he clung to his boyfriend. "No!"

Donghae's immediate reaction was to laugh at how adorable his boyfriend looked to him. It was always those little things that made him want to coddle Kyuhyun so much that made his everyday so interesting. So effortless and unchanging, the younger man simple acts could brighten up his day so easily.

“Okay, so that's totally out of the picture,” the older chuckled, nuzzling his face against his boyfriend's head of hair. “Now what?”

Kyuhyun shook his head furiously. “I don't care whatever! I just don't want you to leave my side!”

“Of course, of course. I won't leave your side, not that I want to or anything.” Beaming, Donghae placed Bada down on the floor to allow her to run off. “But let's not think about that for now. Appa won't be announcing his candidacy this week – I'm sure of that. I'll go talk to him first, so we can figure out what measures we need to take, okay?”

“I'll do whatever as long as you don't leave me,” Kyuhyun mumbled incoherently. 

It was childish, and it most definitely was to Donghae. But Kyuhyun's handling of things were like that of a child, much due to the endless pampering he had throughout his growing up years. Things never changed even when he became an adult, and Donghae never bothered to fix it as he had learned to love Kyuhyun with everything he was.

“I won't leave you, baby, and I won't allow anyone to separate us.” Pulling the younger to stand up with him, Donghae gazed at him lovingly. “Now, since you're home and it's mid-afternoon, why don't we do something fun? Let's attempt to make waffles from scratch again, and I also found a recipe for crepe we can also try out.”

Kyuhyun whined. “Why do you insist on making desserts? You know we suck at it. That's why we have pints and pints of ice cream in our freezer.”

“Come on! It'll be boyfriend bonding for us. We might actually learn something.”

The chairman's expression was one of defeat, which was the only sign Donghae needed to drag the younger to the kitchen with him.

Donghae and Kyuhyun took risks even at home. Bedroom activities aside, their little adventures also involved making things in the kitchen with the best of our abilities. Kyuhyun's kitchen abilities simply never surfaced, while the older was gifted enough in cooking meals, his talents in dessert-making were nonexistent. Those reasons led to their occasional activity of attempting to make famous sweet treats together in hopes of actually forming something edible. (Though that has yet to happen.)

“Taemin's going to start working in the office Monday next week,” Kyuhyun shared as he mixed the contents of the bowl set aside for the waffles. “I'm thinking of putting him in as a copy boy first, but what do you think?”

"I say it's a good start for him," Donghae agreed, glancing at the recipe displayed on his iPad. "Make him work from the bottom up, just so that he has enough knowledge to handle any matter. I would've thought you'd let him intern for the marketing department first."

The younger shook his head, making a face as he began to beat some eggs into the mixture. "No, it's too soon. Taemin has minimal knowledge and being a copy boy will allow him to build connections first. This way, it'll be easier for him the long run."

Donghae hummed absentmindedly. "It's not a bad idea, and the reasoning is good as well. But you know he'll need to attend a few of the meetings to get an idea as to what it's like."

"I've already planned it all out," Kyuhyun assured him as he continued to fight with the mixture. He pouted, causing Donghae to laugh as the older man went to help him. "He could do what you did, too, when you were first starting out."

The older man smirked. "Then Taemin needs to work hard. As a newbie, there's always a hazing phase before anyone could decide to like him."

"I'm confident that my brother has what it takes."

Being born in such families, both Kyuhyun and Donghae were well aware of the world of business. Despite Donghae's refusal to take over his family's company, there was no denying that he was still one of the best in the field, easily handling everything that came his way and convincing several of their partners when Kyuhyun couldn't. They evened out in a way where they fit each other and was dominant in where the other lacked.

But it was why Kyuhyun had Donghae work for him in the first place, although they both very well could eventually own the company together.

Not that anyone complained about it really.

As children, they often accompanied their fathers to work in order to learn how to handle business as it was their future. Sitting through boring meetings, meeting future partners, and building connections was everything they had been taught to do.

"Is Seulgi still thinking about interning for Boa's fashion company?" Donghae wondered. 

“Actually, no, she changed her mind,” Kyuhyun answered with an exasperated sigh. “She now wants to try her hand in retail.”

“Retail?”

The younger man pressed hi lips together. “She got an internship at a mall.”

“A mall? Well, that's great then since your–”

“As a sales girl.” Kyuhyun nodded repeatedly when his boyfriend gave him a look. “She said she wants to branch out and try something new. Apparently, fashion is boring to her now, so she's going to search for something that interests her, which just so happens to begin with retail work in some pants store.”

Donghae appeared speechless, merely blinking a few times before returning to what he was mixing. Seulgi was the type of person who was spontaneous and decisive – a fact that he had learned from the moment they were introduced with each other. There had been a number of times wherein she'd popped up in their campus or their dorm room even in the middle of the night or day, offering a colorful story about something she had done or wanted to do. It reminded Donghae of his adventurous self, but sometimes, even he could no longer keep up with Seulgi, who's so unpredictable that she can't be held down for a long time.

“Oh, but she dropped in on mine and Appa's lunch this afternoon and asked me to tell you if you could squeeze a coffee date with her tomorrow. She has something important she wants to ask you, apparently,” Kyuhyun related, smiling at his boyfriend. “She said you can pick the place and she'd show up since she doesn't have any favorite coffee house.”

Shrugging, Donghae nodded as his answer before his attention was caught by his cellphone on the counter. He peered down at the screen and immediately stopped stirring. “Okay, baby, you need to continue mixing this for about five more time then you can pick the berries you want to add as toppings inside.”

“Alright.” Taking the mixing spoon back from his boyfriend, Kyuhyun began to hum as he went back to his earlier task. “Where are you going?”

Donghae looked up while walking backwards and flashed the younger man a wide smile. “There's stain on my shirt. I'll just grab a new one...and for you, too, since yours is a mess. I'll be right back, then we can start the waffle iron.”

Kyuhyun hummed and Donghae took that as his cue to go.

The younger kept his gaze on the dough, almost pouting at its pathetic state. Though he knew it had the chances to become something better, he doubted their baking skills as it often led to disastrous results more than he would like to remember. He sighed, deciding to wait for his boyfriend in the meantime before he decided to get out the waffle maker.  
\- - -

"Good morning, Chairman Cho!"

"Good morning, Secretary Lee!"

The continued onslaught of greetings caused Kyuhyun to scowl, displeased with having to put up with it in such an early morning. As agreed by the couple, they would return the next day since there was still a company to run, and Kyuhyun had to go and meet the appointments Donghae had rescheduled for him following the incident at the Foundation party. He was already behind on several things, determined to get it all out of the way before Donghae had to leave him to go on a coffee date with Seulgi.

"What's the first thing on the list, Donghae?"

Donghae peered down at his tablet. "A meeting with President Kim from Kim Electronics. It's scheduled at 9am, so we have forty-five minutes to put everything together."

"Get Henry and send him up to my office. He and I will put the presentation together as it's the one thing he's good at," the younger man ordered, earning a bow. "And be sure to gather the documents from the marketing and finance departments while I'm in the meeting."

"Of course, sir."

"Did Key and Henry give you their files yet?"

Donghae shook his head. "Not yet, but I'll get the moment we step into the office."

"Be sure that you do. I am not in the mood to be merciful right now."

It was always a sight to see for everyone in the building. Known for his short tempers, Chairman Cho could easily scare anyone out of their wits and turn into a puddle of goo on their floor. However, only Secretary Lee seemed to have the innate ability to be patient with their boss, always playing the role of an obedient pet just waiting for his master's orders.

Yet Donghae was the only person who was never yelled at by the Chairman since the moment he began working there.

Donghae turned his head to the side as he felt his phone vibrating, eyebrows furrowing once he noticed who it was from.

"What is it?"

"I'm sorry to say, Chairman Cho, but your eleven o'clock will be blocked for that hour before lunch," Donghae told him apologetically. "Chairman Lee from DNE Corporation wishes to meet you."

Kyuhyun nearly stumbled in his walk, surprised. It wasn't very often that Donghae's father would want to meet him as Donghae often played the role of a messenger for that regarding any sort of business. For him to actually request a meeting with Kyuhyun meant that it was terribly important, and he had a vague idea of what it could be. He hoped it wasn't truly Donghae's father, knowing that if it was Sungmin in his place, then he would be able to handle anything thrown his way.

Mr. Lee was in an entirely different ball court.

And that scared Kyuhyun. 

After a short moment of silence, he young chairman cleared his throat and reached for his cellphone. “Very well then. You may go about with your duties now, Donghae. Bring me my coffee two hours from now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Donghae waited until Kyuhyun no longer looked at him before he turned around and walked out of the office into his. Setting his tablet and the folders he was holding down on his desk, he nearly chuckled when he felt his cellphone vibrate almost at the same time. He sat down on his chair and opened the new message he received, a smile appearing on his lips when he read it.

_I can't do this! Help me!_

_Kyu_

Leaning back, Donghae typed up his response with his goofy smile still on his face.

_You'll be fine, baby. Appa's probably just going to talk to you about that thing we talked about last night. But don't worry. This is your zone; you're the master here. He won't do anything to you. Besides, he likes you._

_Hae_

The boundaries that the two of them had set was very clear, and they had made sure to follow through with it at all times. It was a simple rule: nothing couple related in public. More often than not, however, there were moments when they'd feel the need to talk to each other in a less than formal way, which brought them to their cellphones, using locked messaging that deleted itself after a short while of being sent. 

_Yes, but you can't deny that your father is scary. He's one-half of the pair that raised your sister! Okay, okay, but do you think he's really going to talk to me about the election? Appa said he already explicitly told him that our family won't be donating any campaign funds._

_Kyu_

Donghae glanced at the door that led to Kyuhyun's office when the thought of dropping in just for a second to give his boyfriend even just a short hug popped in his mind.

_I'm positive it's about the election, but I don't think it'll be because of the funds. Either way, just keep your cool and you'll be fine. I'll be out of the office to meet with Seulgi during your meeting, so I won't be nearby. But I'm just a message or a call away. Don't be nervous._

_I love you._

_Hae_

He could practically hear Kyuhyun whining in response to his message, shaking his head fondly. Once he was sure the other didn't text back, he went back to his own duty, ignoring the awed gazes directed at him.

Donghae smiled to himself.

This was going to be fun.  
\- - -

It wasn't very often when Donghae would meet anyone from Kyuhyun's family alone. The few times he did was usually with the twins or Kyuhyun's father, though the latter usually consisted of business instead of any personal reasons.

It was why Donghae was only briefly surprised when Seulgi requested a private meeting with him.

"Thank you for meeting me, Oppa," Seulgi said with a smile. "Was my brother okay with us meeting?"

The older man laughed. "He didn't have any problem at all. But what's up? It's not often you'd ask to see me."

For a moment, Seulgi was quiet, a hint of red dusting her cheeks. "It has something to do with the debutante ball," she admitted shyly. "And I was wondering if you can be my escort."

Donghae raised an eyebrow. "What about Kyuhyun? I thought you'd either take him or Taemin."

"Taemin can't come since Appa is already throwing something for him, and Kyuhyun-Oppa is quite infamous for his title of Overlord."

Taking a sip of his latte, Donghae studied her curiously. There was nothing about her expression that threw him off, but he suspected a certain sister of his had played a part somehow.

"Did Hyoyeon put you up to this?"

Seulgi blanched at being caught before nodding. "She'd thought you'd make a good escort since you've already done it before, so I thought I'd ask you."

"Seulgi, it's flattering, but I'm afraid I'll have to reject." The older man smiled upon seeing the disheartened expression on her face. "Ask your brother. I'm sure Kyuhyun will be thrilled to accompany you to the debutante ball."

It took a few moments of pouting Seulgi's expression went back to its usual brightness. “That's okay! Hyoyeon-unnie was the one who insisted it anyway – not that I don't want you to be my escort, but you know how it is. I'll just tell Appa that I want Taemin to be my escort instead, then we can all be happy.”

Donghae was always so amused at how happy and giddy Seulgi (and Taemin) naturally was. She was a far contrast from Kyuhyun who was mostly reserved and serious. Her whole life was colorful and fun, and she lived it that way no matter where she went. It was almost as if she had no problems whatsoever, and for Donghae, to find someone like that in their world was interesting as everyone else always had something to worry about despite having all resources at their disposal.

“But now this gives us a chance to get to the important part of why I asked you out here,” Seulgi excitedly said, taking out an envelope from inside her purse. “I'm sure you've already received your new schedule about the photoshoot for M magazine.”

“Yeah, got it last week and sent mine and Kyu's confirmation after some hard thinking,” Donghae shared. “Why?”

“Well, it's going to be a socialite siblings’ photoshoot, so me and Tae will be there, too. I heard the Chois, the Kims, and the other Lees will be there, too. But that's not the point here.” Sliding the paper that came from the envelope towards the older, Seulgi glanced around cautiously. “I heard through a very reliable source that the photoshoot will also include your ex...with a certain angle.”

Leaning forward, Donghae snatched the paper from the table and quickly scanned it. “This is...”

“The interview will cover your past relationship, and, unfortunately, the interviewer they're sending is ruthless,” Seulgi informed him in a low voice that was almost a whisper. “Her name is Jessica Jung.”

“...Krystal's sister.”

Seulgi gave a nod. "And we all know how she can get, especially since you were the one who broke up with her sister. She's not going to show you any mercy."

"I'd be more surprised if she did," Donghae remarked dryly as he shook his head. He looked over the paper, a frown on his lips as he continued to read it over. "And Jessica's just going to do everything in her power to make that interview a living hell."

The younger pursed her lips. "Which is exactly why I wanted to tell you, so you can prepare yourself. She's definitely the worst out of the Jungs, and not even Krystal can compete with her in terms of ruthlessness. And since they're both going to be at that photoshoot..."

Donghae gave Seulgi a smile. It was kind of her to inform him of such a thing ahead, knowing that if he was caught off guard during the interview, Jessica would take it to her advantage. The two of them had gotten along during the time he went out with Krystal, but after they broke up, she had made it a mission to torture him as vengeance for her baby sister.

Not even their father showed such viciousness towards them.

"Well, thank you for telling me," Donghae said sincerely. "But why didn't you tell Kyuhyun about this, too?"

Seulgi made a face. "Because Oppa would freak out, and we both know that he still has an image to maintain."

Laughing, the older simply nodded in agreement. After all, it was no secret at all that Kyuhyun hated Krystal, and adding in her sister would only make it worse. As Donghae peered down at the papers again, he let out a hum.

"Oppa?"

"It's nothing," Donghae sighed out. "Oh, and I got you special VIP tickets for that idol you like. Kyuhyun tried to tell me not to, but consider it a gift for the debutante ball."

Seulgi's eyes sparkled and she practically tackled him into a hug, despite the table between them. 

“Okay, okay, I get it! You're very grateful,” the older laughed. “Our drinks might spill, Seulgi.”

“I'm sorry! I'm just so happy!” Seulgi exclaimed. “Appa won't let me pull some strings to get VIP tickets since they're all sold out. It's not my fault I was up in the air when the ticket sales started and none of our people were able to get past the hoards of fans that were faster at online purchasing.”

Donghae shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. “Your father really does know when he wants to be strict towards you.”

“It's all in good fun! Anyway...” Grabbing her drink, Seulgi stood up abruptly. “It's almost lunch time. I'm assuming Oppa's meeting with your father is done. Let's go drag him out to lunch.”

Before Donghae could even reach for his own drink, Seulgi was already tugging him by the arm to move out of his chair.  
\- - -

Dinner out with friends for Kyuhyun and Donghae was very rare as they'd prefer to stay home after work hours. Unless it was a formal invitation or one of the casual get-togethers they usually had, the couple could not be dragged out of their apartment to eat out. A sidenote of it being they were also lazy to drive out just to eat, most especially Kyuhyun who seemed to always be stressed out at work.

But drinking out with friends was always an option to be considered.

“Hey, you two!” Siwon, heir to the Choi Group of Companies, greeted cheerfully the moment he spotted the couple entering the VIP section of the bar. Waving happily at them, he grabbed the glass of gin and tonic he had ordered from the bartender. “So glad you could make it!”

"I see you guys started the party without us," Donghae commented, accepting the drink Hyukjae, heir to the Lee Industries, had handed to him. "That's not very nice."

Rolling his eyes, Hyukjae nudged Donghae slightly before turning to Kyuhyun. "Hey, Kyuhyun. Changmin's got the wine all out and ready for you."

That seemed to spark the younger's interest, excusing himself as he headed over to where Changmin was already waiting for him. The two of them had grown up together, even attending the same classes together in college. Though their personalities were evenly matched, their group of friends often wondered just how similar the two of them really were.

One thing that matched them together was their love for wine.

"So, I heard that you guys are going to that fancy socialite photoshoot for M magazine," Siwon said as they all sat around. "That should be fun."

Donghae scoffed. "Sure. Only because all cameras love you."

"They love you, too," Hyukjae retorted. "But I've got some news that there's been some more anti-corporate groups lately. Apparently, they've just recently tried to go after the Kwon family."

Pursing his lips, Donghae leaned back in his seat as he took a sip of his vodka, immediately making a face at the taste. "Did they do anything?"

"No, they're safe. Some masked vigilante saved them."

Siwon released a huff, running a hand through his hair before he caught sight of the rest of their friends coming in. "Sungmin-hyung, Jongwoon-hyung, you guys made it!"

Sighing heavily, Sungmin tugged at his tie. "Just barely. Fortunately, Saeun had to fly out to Milan for some business meeting."

"And Lay was being a little rascal again," Jongwoon commented, letting out a resigned sigh whenever it came to the topic of his little nephew. "Anyway, what're we talking about?"

“M magazine shoot,” Hyukjae answered. 

“Oh, the annual rich kid of the year list, I see,” Jongwoon whistled. “So it's your turn now.”

“It's such an unnecessary shoot, but it's fun having all our friends together,” Sungmin said, accepting his drink from the bartender. “I remember the number one on the list during our year was Jung Yunho. Handsome, real looker, and all around nice guy. I wonder if he's still traveling the world.”

Donghae shook his head while sipping his drink. “He has a meeting with Kyuhyunnie next week about a possible venture together.”

Kyuhyun's own company was an investment company that specialized in looking at old companies or possible new ventures to put their money in. Most of their clients were big businesses from big-named people. But there was an allotted seventeen percent of the company's budget for the ventures and small businesses that Kyuhyun personally handles on his own. As a businessman, he was the type who loved making things out of nothing and seeing them blossom into something far exceeding anyone's expectations – a trait that he had cultivated from being an overachiever since high school.

“So did they tell you who's your number one?” Jongwoon wondered, glancing at the three friends.

“Yeah,” Hyukjae replied quickly, surprising Siwon and Donghae, who both appeared confused. “Kyuhyun's the number one.”

“What? That's great!” Siwon cheered, his eyes trailing over to the booth where Kyuhyun was with Changmin. “Hey, Kyu, congratulations!” He waved excitedly towards the younger man, only to receive a confused look as a response.

“How did you know that?” Donghae questioned. “I didn't even know that.”

Hyukjae shrugged. “You're forgetting who owns the publishing company that owns the magazine. I just waltz into that office floor and got the list. You're third, by the way, Hae. Siwon is second.”

“It makes me wonder what the criteria is behind this list.”

“Wealth, appeal, popularity, polls, and influence,” Sungmin answered, getting the attention of the whole group. “Last I heard from Saeun, Donghae and Siwon were leading the polls in a tie. But Kyuhyun probably knocked all of them out with the rest of the categories.”

“Well, the guy did build a company on his own,” Jongwoon stated, adding a shrug afterwards. “How's it going with you two, by the way? Everything alright?” 

"Yeah. Our anniversary is coming up soon, so I already booked a trip to Fiji," Donghae shared.

Hyukjae raised an eyebrow. "Why Fiji? There are other places to explore! Like London, Tokyo, or even Paris!"

"Places we've all already been to." Shaking his head, Donghae shifted his gaze over to his cousin. "Did Appa talk to you?"

Sungmin snorted, taking a sip of his drink. "Of course he did. He had wanted to discuss with me about the best way to proceed with everything, after all."

"What're you guys talking about?" Jongwoon wondered, followed by curious expressions on the others' faces.

Donghae flashed a smile. "No reason. Now, let's live the night!"

As the others agreed cheerfully, Donghae excused himself briefly once he saw his phone ringing. stepping out into a private area, he released a sigh and answered the call once he saw who it was. "What's up?"

_"Prey is going out tonight. Be prepared."_

The call was cut short, but it didn't bother Donghae in the slightest. Humming, he took another sip of his drink before going back inside.  
\- - -


	3. Chapter 3

"Now, remember what I told you, Taemin," Kyuhyun began as he led his brother on the first floor. "There will be no special treatments, and you'll have to start building connections. Once you've garnered enough information, I'll have you start to intern on my floor."

Taemin nodded. "Yes, hyung."

"Also remember that you cannot talk about that while we're here, got it?"

The younger gave another nod before seeing Donghae walking over to them, a cup of coffee in his hand. He watched wordlessly as his brother accepted the coffee without even a thank you, blinking curiously. "Um—"

"Donghae will show you where to start your job," his brother interjected. "Donghae, be sure to explain everything to him."

Donghae smiled. "Yes, sir."

“I have to review some accounts, but feel free to drop by my office during lunch hour. Oh, and one more thing.” Kyuhyun handed the coffee back to his boyfriend before tugging his brother's suit jacket until it was off of him. “Copy boy doesn't need a fancy jacket in the first floor.”

Taemin smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. Got way too ahead of myself.”

“Rookie mistake,” Donghae kindly assured him, handing the cup back to the Chairman. “All right then. I will give you a tour of the company first and introduce you to everyone as the new intern. Chairman.”

Giving a nod in approval, Kyuhyun turned around and walked back into the elevator, leaving the two by themselves.

“Let's get started then, Tae. Got a lot of floors to cover.” Donghae began to lead the way further inside the floor to a somewhat gloomy room full of cubicles that were filled with stacks of papers at every desk. “The first floor houses the reception of the company. Not exactly greetings, but more about the ones who handle potential clients' proposals. They screen all these proposals before sending them upstairs for further screening and research. The people who work here are the starting point of every client we have, even the big ones we already handle. Chairman Cho is very meticulous, so no short cuts are given to anyone.”

“You can say that again,” Taemin said, gesturing to himself, which made the older man chuckle. “Is this where I'll be working?”

Donghae gave a solemn nod. “Unfortunately. You will be starting here, right in this room. The copy machines are in here. Your job is to, as the title says, copy documents. Not only that, you have to look after the inventory of the supplies of paper, toner, ink, so on and so forth.”

The tour continued on until they finally reached the top floor of the office building where the Chairman and his official team were located. Compared to the other floors, the top floor was most definitely more visually-appealing, and yet, it was also the floor which seemed to have a strong tensed environment. Not even the other floors where the vice presidents and the heads of the departments held such an ominous aura.

“Why is it always so creepy in Hyung's floor?” Taemin asked quietly, moving closer to Donghae as they entered the floor. “It's like the house of Dracula.”

Laughing, Donghae patted the younger man's head. “It's your hyung, Tae. He's the Overlord.”

Taemin had no time to react. As soon as they were in view of the rows or desks that led to the office of the Chairman and Secretary Lee, every single employee in the room stopped whatever it was that they were doing and stood up to greet him. While it was something he was used to whenever he visited his father's company, the whole thing still caught him off guard, nearly making him jump in surprise.

“Good morning, doryeonim!”

“A-Ah! W-Wait, p-please, don't c-call me that. I am j-just like you guys! Even lower!” Taemin stammered, his face red in embarrassment. “T-That's not w-what you call D-Donghae-hyung – I mean Secretary Lee – here, right? Right?”

"No, but he has saved us from the Overlord many times," Henry said, only to yelp when Victoria smacked the back of his head.

Victoria gave Taemin a bow. "It's different. You're our Chairman's brother — you deserve respect."

As the other muttered out their agreement, Taemin shuffled behind Donghae, eyes wide as he took note of just how terrified everyone seemed to be of his brother. He knew just what kind of reputation Kyuhyun held as it was discreetly murmured among other companies as well, but it was his first time seeing firsthand just how terrifying his brother truly could be.

Donghae cleared his throat, everyone immediately snapping to attention.

"Thank you for greeting him, but Taemin here will be starting out as a lower rank than you all," the secretary told them in a certain tone. "So be sure to help him out if he needs it, but no special treatment, okay? Treat him as one of you. Also, get back to work before Chairman Cho thinks you're all slacking off."

Taemin could do nothing but stand still as everyone hurried back to their stations. "Hyung really has gotten them all whipped, huh?"

"You've no idea," the older man breathed out, leading him towards the room where his and Kyuhyun's offices were connected. "And this is my office, and the doors right there leads to your brother's office."

The younger gazed at it curiously before jumping when he heard yelling come from inside. He squeaked, hiding behind Donghae just as a young woman came running out, holding a file close to her chest.

Donghae shook his head, clearly used to it as he led Taemin inside Kyuhyun's office. "Chairman Cho, may we enter?"

“Yes.”

Taemin had been in his brother's office for countless of times, especially during the year when it was still starting out and building its name in the business world. But he had never actually been in Kyuhyun's office right after he had yelled at someone. It was a sight that he never thought he'd ever see as he had always found his brother to be so loving around their family, even to their household help.

“Everything all right here, Chairman?” Donghae asked when they were finally inside the large room. “I think you just made that employee cry.”

“It's all completely her fault for missing three pages of the document about the Busan deal,” Kyuhyun countered, looking up from what he was reading. “How's the tour going?”

“Great! This is actually our last stop, and then Tae can head back down to the first floor to start working,” the secretary answered, stepping right up to the younger man's desk. 

Kyuhyun looked at his younger brother in wonder. “You okay there, Tae?”

An expression of confusion masked Taemin's face as he shifted his gaze back and forth between his brother and Donghae. The two most bizarre things he had ever seen in his life were right there in front of him: his brother as a scary big boss and his brother and Donghae acting like they were nothing more than employer and employee. While he knew all along about the set up and the front that Kyuhyun put up in his company, seeing it in action was such a weird experience to him, almost making him feel like he didn't actually know the two older men.

“S-Sorry, hyung, I'm just...” Taemin slowly shook his head. “It's so weird not seeing you two as...” Pausing for a moment, he glanced from side to side and leaned closer to the table. “...Couple-like as you are around us.”

The two older men shared a look with one another before releasing a chuckle.

"It'll certainly be a sight you'll get used to seeing," Donghae commented, glancing down at the tablet he held in his hands. "Oh, Chairman, remember that you have a three o'clock meeting with President Jung about the investment. After that, you have another appointment with the admirer."

Taemin blinked, confusion evident on his features. "'Admirer'?"

"Due to the fact that no one knows about us, there are many other companies who are hoping to pair their daughters with our Chairman," Donghae explained cheerfully, causing the youngest to widen his eyes in shock. "This time, it's Miss Seo Joohyun from TTS Entertainment. Pretty little thing - almost like a doll."

Mouth falling open, Taemin turned towards his brother, who didn't look the least bit amused about the fact. In fact, his brother seemed close to wanting to cancel the appointment. He soon snapped it shut when his brother released a heavy sigh.

Kyuhyun gave a nod. "Very well. Prepare for all of that. Taemin, you'll begin your work the moment you leave this room, so be prepared for that. Donghae, I need you to stop by the Choi Group headquarters to personally schedule an appointment with Chairman Choi."

"Wouldn't you usually leave a message for that?" Taemin wondered.

Donghae shook his head. "Chairman Choi likes to meet in person when it comes to scheduling appointments. Otherwise, he deems it to be impersonal and irresponsible - not to mention, just plain rude. Oh, Kyuhyun, I'll need to request a few days off since my father needs me to go over to our company for a little bit in order to help out with the finances again."

Kyuhyun immediately looked displeased by the idea. "Again?"

"An intern messed it up."

The Chairman shook his head. “It's fine. I don't think we have any other big clients to talk to until next month anyway, so you can take a few days off.”

“Thanks, boss. Oh, and don't worry. I already have the mixture of your coffee prepared. Just add hot water.” Donghae beamed. “I already ordered a coffee maker to be placed in my office, so you won't have to go out to the lounge.”

“Thank you, Donghae. You're always so efficient.”

Nodding in appreciation, Donghae looked down at his tablet and swiped his finger upward. “We also scheduled window washing today, so there will be men outside the windows. Don't freak out about that.”

Taemin watched the exchange between the two curiously. There was no hint that they were a couple in any way, but their friendship absolutely rose above the surface with how easygoing the conversation was between them. In just a few little bits of information, he could see that they were more than just a couple; they're the best of friends.

And they got everything under control.  
\- - -

“Late lunch, Secretary Lee?”

Donghae smiled at the woman behind the cashier's booth. “No, actually, I just wanted a snack. Someone wanted half of my lunch, so I gave it away. And now, I'm kind of hungry.”

“Well, you en–”

“The building is under attack!”

Whipping his head to the side, Donghae quickly ran towards the man who had shouted the unfortunate news just as hysteria erupted around him. He grabbed the man, whom he recognized to be one of the janitors assigned in the upper floors, by the arm and pulled him back. Holding him down, he stared at him with wide eyes, shaking him forcibly.

“What is going on?” Donghae demanded. “What under attack are you talking about?”

With fear written all over his face, the janitor shakily pointing his hand up at the ceiling. “T-The C-Chairman's office is under a-attack. The w-window washers broke in t-through the window w-while the Chairman is in a m-meeting. S-Security is putting the w-whole place on lockdown!”

Shock running throughout his body, Donghae hissed out a cuss and turned to the nearest security. "Get everyone on the lower levels to safety immediately. What's the current status of Chairman Cho?"

"So far, nothing's been released yet," the officer informed him after a brief discussion with another officer on the upper level. "We've received word that Seoul Police has sent backup immediately."

"They won't get here in time." Biting his lip, Donghae caught sight of Taemin running towards him, fear evident on his face. He wrapped his arms around the younger man on instinct, feeling the younger Cho tremble in his arms. "He'll be okay, Tae."

"But hyung is still up there!"

Donghae patted his head as he worked on soothing him. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Right now, I need you to get to safety, alright? No questions asked."

"What about you, hyung?"

The older man gave him a brief smile. "I'm going to get your brother out of there."

"But hyung!"

"Secretary Lee, you can't-" The officer was cut off when Donghae took his radio, apologizing and promising to return it later as the secretary proceeded to run upstairs.

Once he was in the staircase, he quickly moved aside when others came rushing down screaming, placing an earpiece into his ear discreetly as he maneuvered his way through the hysteric crowd.

_"What's the problem?"_

"Someone attacked Chairman Cho. I need the status of the situation quickly," Donghae ordered in a low tone, exiting through a door and finding himself on one of the middle floors which was empty due to its current status of being remodeled. "And make it quick. The Chairman is still in a meeting with President Jung."

_“It will take awhile. This is unprecedented.”_

“Unprecedented?” Entering one of the rooms, Donghae pulled off his necktie and jacket, tossing them on a table. “What do you mean unprecedented?”

_“We have no clear surveillance of the CKH building. You said there's no need because you're always there with him anyway.”_

Donghae audibly cursed, clicking his tongue afterwards as he paced back and forth in the room. He had never felt so worried in his life, and yet he knew he could not act out on his emotions so recklessly as it would do no good to anyone, especially to Kyuhyun. The last thing he wanted was to worsen the situation furthermore. Everything was at stake in that moment, and he was willing to risk it all to save his boyfriend.

_“Here we go. All office windows broken down. Two armed men hovering over two men, whose identities confirmed to be Cho Kyuhyun and Jung Yunho.”_ There was a sudden but short pause from the other line that nearly made Donghae breathe in sharply. _“Clear on injuries on both hostages.”_

The secretary let out a deep sigh of relief. “Okay, I need you to–”

_“It's already on the way, and will be arriving in a minute and forty-five seconds at the nineteenth floor. None loaded, none sharp. Back up on ground, nothing aerial.”_

“None sharp?” Donghae questioned in disbelief as he began to run out of the floor and back to the stairs. “Why?”

_“Because you don't kill, Donghae, and we haven't discussed anything about bloodshed as of the moment. Topic closed. Now, hurry. I see movement in the Chairman's office. Scan tells me both suspects carrying loaded sub machine guns, thirty rounds each; a seven-round semi; and a six-round revolver. They're very burly men.”_

"Of course they're burly," Donghae mumbled to himself. "They're always burly. Can't they find different types of people to do the dirty work for them?"

A hint of a laugh. _"I'll be sure to leave that as a memo when you're done. Fifty-five seconds remaining."_

"Can you do a facial scan? Try to pinpoint who the suspects are," Donghae said, hurrying up the stairs and counting it up as he went. "This was a planned attack, which means they're targeting both of them up there."

There was a brief pause, followed by the sounds of keys being clicked. _"I'll do what I can; I'm accessing all cameras within the CKH Building now, and through all cameras in cellphones, tablets, computers, and smartphones. I should have it all for you in half an hour. You have thirty seconds remaining."_

Muttering under his breath, Donghae reached the nineteenth floor just in time.  
\- - -

Never had he ever felt so scared in his life.

Kyuhyun tugged at the rope binding his wrists, trying his best to keep the panic at bay as he watched the two men standing over him and Yunho. He wasn't sure what they were waiting for, but simply wished they could bide enough time for security to save them. He glanced over at Yunho, who was trying his best to discreetly wriggle his hands free.

"You, there!" one of the men snapped, placing his gun against Yunho's head. "Stop moving or I'll spray this floor with your guts!"

Yunho immediately stopped what he was doing, despite showing no visibly reaction on his face. When the man turned away from him to talk to his companion, he continued his attempt to break free from his binds.

“Sunbaenim...”

“Just hold on a second, Kyu,” Yunho whispered as quietly as he could, keeping his gaze on the two men. “A little bit more.”

Biting his low lip, Kyuhyun fidgeted a bit and glanced at their hostage takers in fear. “Sunbaenim, they might hurt you.”

The older man shook his head, a faint smile flashing on his face for a brief second when he felt the rope loosen a bit. He shifted closer to Kyuhyun, hiding his movements better. When the rope loosened even more, his eyes darted over to the younger man for a moment, making a quick eye contact with him before he looked back at the two men whose backs were facing them.

“They're not here to kill us, Kyuhyun. If they wanted my guts all over this floor, they would've done that in the very beginning of the attack. We wouldn't be hostages here,” Yunho told the younger man in a soft voice. “They either want something or they're sending a message.”

“Sending a message?” Kyuhyun breathed out, nearly jumping when one of the men walked over to the broken windows. “W-What do you m-mean?”

“I'm not sure myself,” the older man replied, leaning closer to the Chairman. “Listen, reach out to my hands and pull on the rope closest to you. Pull it as much as you can. That will loosen it up enough for me to get out of my binds.”

Kyuhyun's eyes grew wide in shock. “B-But...”

“Cops and news reporters all over down there. It's almost time,” the man by the window spoke up. 

“Just trust me,” Yunho hissed out. “Pull.”

Despite not wanting to, Kyuhyun did as he was told, subtly reaching over to pull on the ropes. It did the trick; Yunho's binds were loosened, but the older man was forced to remain in his spot when one of the men came over to them.

"Alright, little boys, it's time you did something for us."

"And what would that be?" Yunho wondered, stiffening when Kyuhyu was suddenly dragged to his feet. "Kyuhyun!"

Kyuhyun yelped as he was dragged over to the window, only to stagger back when Yunho decided it was time for him to punch the guy in the face. He took a few steps back, watching Yunho try his best to fight the man, but their captors were much too burly to be kicked down easily. The younger ran over to Yunho when the older man was flung back, a low groan escaping from him.

"I did hope that it wouldn't come to this," the man who dragged Kyuhyun said, lifting up his gun. "But I guess having one of you dead wouldn't hurt."

Kyuhyun shut his eyes instinctively, feeling Yunho tug him closer. He waited for the sound of the gun to go off, only to be startled when he heard their captors let out a shout of surprise. Eyes snapping open, he looked over to see a man clad in black standing in front of them, his back facing in their direction.

"Who the fuck are you?!" the guy by the window ordered, aiming the gun at him.

"It's that vigilante! The Phantom!"

"President Jung, are you okay?" the Phantom asked, his voice sounding distorted.

Yunho groaned. "Just barely, but I can move."

"Then be sure to find a secure place while I handle this."

"As if!"

Kyuhyun screamed out in surprise when the man actually fired the gun, hearing the sound of something being moved and he saw the office table in front of them to prevent them being hit. He heard the sound of fighting, ducking when a man came flying over the table and landing into the wall. A wince came to him instinctively as he looked at the unconscious man before peering up when he felt Yunho nudge at him.

"Let's go," Yunho whispered to him, nodding at the door. "Now's our chance."

Darting his eyes over to the door, Kyuhyun's expression was unreadable. With a mixture of different emotions inside of him, he wasn't exactly sure how he'd react to everything going on around him. Everything that had happened and was happening was so surreal and frightening that caused his thoughts to just completely halt, unable to function no matter what he did.

He wasn't sure how he had managed to get himself back up on his feet, but the next few moments since he did were just mere flashes, with no clear pictures that could tell a story. All he could really piece together was that one point in time wherein he attempted to catch even just a short glimpse of the Phantom – to no avail. The succeeding events after that were all filled with gunshots and a loud scream.

“Chairman!”

“President Jung!”

Numerous medics and security personnel quickly crowded the two young businessmen once they appeared into view on the building lobby. Groups of police and well-suited men shielded the two from the snapping cameras that began to follow their every movement as they were escorted to the ambulances that were waiting. Endless shouting and talking filled the air, only to be replaced by a loud gasp before someone shouted about the Phantom.

“Hyung! Hyung!”

Kyuhyun knew he was breathing heavily and erratically when he felt his brother engulf him into a tight hug. Still shaken, he couldn't will himself to return the gesture or to even look at him. All he could do was sit in his place inside the ambulance van in silence.

“I'm so glad you're safe, hyung! I was so worried!” Taemin frantically cried out, pulling away to look at the older man. “Your head is bleeding! It's bleeding! Someone, please–”

“It's a small cut, sir. Don't worry. He’ll just need stitches for that,” one of the medics interjected, assisting Kyuhyun down on the stretcher. “We'll be heading out to the hospital now to get them checked immediately. Will you be riding with us, sir?”

“U-Uh...”

“Tae, you take the car. I'll ride with them.”

Taemin turned back in surprise upon hearing the familiar voice of Donghae, who had suddenly appeared behind him. “H-Hyung.”

Smiling, Donghae patted the younger man's head. "Just listen to hyung, okay?"

Though unsure, Taemin nodded, immediately followed by one of the security who was ordered to go with the younger Cho just in case.

Kyuhyun looked over at his boyfriend, seeing the older man get into the ambulance. He faintly heard one of the medics tell Donghae something, but he didn't really listen until he felt a cloth being pressed against his head, causing him to hiss out in discomfort.

"Sorry," Donghae told him with a small smile. "We'll be at the hospital soon, Kyuhyun. Don't worry — everything is over now."

The younger man felt his shoulders slump at that, relief flooding through him. The last thing he heard before he fell unconscious was Donghae and the medic talking to one another.

He wasn't sure what happened — his dreams were a distortion of everything that occurred, a whirlwind of images flying through an endless void of darkness.

He finally jerked awake when he felt the cut on his forehead being pressed on. "Ow!"

"S-Sorry!" A nurse squeaked. "The doctor told me to clean it after he put the stitches in, saying he didn't want any bacteria to get in it."

"It's fine, you've just startled him," came Donghae's voice, and Kyuhyun desperately wished they were alone in their apartment so he could cuddle with his boyfriend. "But now that the Chairman is awake, I'm free to take him home now, right?"

The nurse gave a nod before pausing. "Not until we do one last check on Chairman Cho's condition and your injury, as well."

Donghae chuckled while Kyuhyun's eyes darted over to the bandage wrapped around his left upper arm. The sight of it caused Kyuhyun to worry, but his attention was soon stolen when he heard his mother cry out his name along with his sister. He saw his family hurrying over to them, worried expressions all decorating their faces. 

All over him, words of worry, comfort, and reassurance filled the air of their conversations. Kyuhyun couldn't help but smile throughout his mother's endless doting of him and his twin siblings' refusal to move away from his side. The overwhelming attention from his family was more than enough to make him feel better.

“You should go home with us,” Mrs. Cho insisted once the nurse gave them the clearance. “We'll take care of you there.”

“Umma, I'd love to, but I think I prefer going back to our home instead.” Kyuhyun looked at his boyfriend who merely smiled sheepishly at him. “Donghae will be there to take care of me. You can visit us every morning if you must.”

“Oh, I will!” Seulgi exclaimed, raising her hand up. “Except on days that I have to be at the debutante ball rehearsals.”

Mrs. Cho sighed and frowned. “But you should be with your family right now.”

Kyuhyun managed a small smile, placing his hand above his mother's. “Umma, you're worrying too much. It's a small cut. I'll be fine. And I promise that I would be taking a break from going to the office for now, not that I have an actual office to go to anyway.”

“They shut the whole floor down until the initial investigation is done,” Taemin reported. “I heard it from one of the police officers who talked to Appa.”

“Well, I guess that settles things there then. I should just have my whole team transferred to a different floor. They cannot possibly stop working,” Kyuhyun muttered, his gaze darting to the side when he heard a chuckle. “What?”

“You just talked about taking a break from the office but here you are talking about work.” Donghae shook his head while clicking his tongue. “I'll handle the transfer. You just relax at home, okay? And, Eomeonim, don't worry. I promise to take very good care of him for you.”

Seulgi giggled brightly while Mrs. Cho simply smiled at the couple, an indication of her surrender.  
\- - -

“You have a small bruise on your shoulder.”

Donghae blinked once and turned around to look at the mirror, finding the specific bruise that his boyfriend had pointed out. Shrugging, he tossed his shirt on the hamper and walked over to the bed, sitting down on the soft mattress to join the younger man. “Don't you worry about that; I hit someone on the way up to your floor. Everyone was hysterical, so there were a lot of people I ran into.” He flashed Kyuhyun a bright smile that slowly turned into a worried frown. Reaching a hand out, he gently caressed his boyfriend's cheek, finally letting himself express the worry he had been bottling up since the news of the attack reached him. “I was so worried about you. I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there by your side, baby.”

Wrapping his arms around Donghae's neck, the younger tugged him closer. "It was so terrifying," he admitted quietly. "And we didn't even know what they wanted. Yunho tried his best, but they overpowered him. We would've been goner if it wasn't for the Phantom."

"The vigilante?" When Kyuhyun nodded, Donghae breathed out and hugged his boyfriend against him. "Then I owe him for saving your life. I'm just glad that the only injury you have was a cut."

The younger shook his head and clung to him tighter. The action didn't bother Donghae at all, so he made sure they were both comfortable and placed Kyuhyun on top of him. He knew the younger needed all the comfort he could get; the attack had truly shaken him as it had been the first hostage situation he had ever been in.

That kind of thing could be traumatizing.

"Do you want to take your pain medication?" Donghae wondered, glancing at the time.

Kyuhyun hummed. "No. I just want to lie here with you."

Smiling softly, the older pressed a kiss against his forehead, rubbing Kyuhyun's side reassuringly. He could feel the younger slowly start to slacken against him, an indication that the day's events had finally gotten to him. It hadn't taken long for Kyuhyun to fall asleep, worn out once the adrenaline had finally passed through the system.

He chuckled when he heard the younger man snore before reaching over, taking an earpiece out from the drawer and sticking it into his ear.

_"Shouldn't you be resting?"_

"Don't be like that," Donghae muttered quietly. "How did your investigation go?"

A sigh. _"I got the names of the men you've beaten up, but they're just lackeys. It's who they're working for that'll interest you."_

“And that person is..?”

_“The beloved incumbent mayor of Seoul.”_

The surprise flashed on Donghae's face for a mere few seconds until Kyuhyun shifted above him, causing him to look down at him. Holding the younger man securely in place, he released a heavy sigh as he gathered his thoughts regarding the revelation of the mastermind behind the attack.

Never did he ever consider that the recent strings of violent behavior from unknown suspects were ever connected to anyone in public office. While it somehow made a little sense due to the power they all hold and how there was no lead on anything whatsoever, the risk of it was too much for anyone in political power to take, especially with campaign period merely a month away from beginning. 

“Does this mean the mayor is behind all the previous attacks, too?” Donghae curiously asked, surprised by his own words. 

_“I'm still getting clearer confirmation; I will get back to you on that one. But this is big news. This could ruin his entire career. There have been talks that he's planning on running for higher office.”_

“Higher office?” Donghae frowned. “The Blue House?”

_“Yep. He's been meeting with the biggest names in campaign managing.”_

“So what are you saying? Are the attacks connected to political crime?”

_“That is our only bet right now, but I can't imagine why he'd attack the rich and the powerful since he needs these people to launch his campaign. He'd need the funding and influence that they have. It makes zero sense for him to harm them.”_

Government involvement in the attacks meant that there was something more than just outright bad behavior or terror attacks. It meant that politics was definitely involved in it somehow. But how or in what way, Donghae still couldn't begin to imagine.

“Okay, then, just send me the necessary stuff and keep searching for more information.” Donghae quickly snatched his cellphone from where it was ringing on the bedside table and looked at the screen. “I'll contact you soon.” Pulling his earpiece off, he tapped on the screen and slowly rolled over, gently placing Kyuhyun on his side of the bed just as he greeted his mother on the other end of the line. “Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Umma, and Kyuhyun is, too. Thank you for calling to check.”

_“It's horrible. I'll be sure to drop by tomorrow to see you two. But that's not the only reason why I called.”_

“Of course it's not.” Standing up, Donghae made his way out of the bedroom and headed towards the staircase. “What is it?”

_“Your father will be announcing his bid for mayor this Friday, and he wants the whole family there with him. So we need you to come home by Thursday so we can go over the details of the day.”_

Donghae held back a sigh, choosing to simply shake his head to express his thoughts on the matter. While he did not fully oppose his father's wishes to get into politics, he still felt that it was not such a good idea. They had a conglomerate business, and he'd be risking it all for a shot at a position of power for just a few years. It was a big gamble that Donghae believed to be highly unnecessary.

“Sure, Umma, but do you think I can bring Kyuhyunnie along?” Stepping inside the library, Donghae walked over to one of the shelves and sifted through the titles of the books. “After what happened, I don't want to leave him alone.”

_“Dear, you know it's all well with me and your father, but are you sure you want him around your sister?”_

"Well, I'm sure that they'll be civil, especially since Hyoyeon won't start anything that'll possibly ruin Appa's image."

He heard his mother sigh. _"Very well. I'll see you two then."_

Bidding his mother a goodbye, Donghae ended the call. He let out a heavy breath, his mind trying to figure out the best way to break the news to his boyfriend. He just had to make sure Kyuhyun wasn't in a bad mood when he told him.  
\- - -


	4. Chapter 4

Kyuhyun hated photo shoots. 

He hated it with every fibre of his being.

And he hated it even more the moment he saw Krystal in the room.

It wasn't as if he had any real ill feelings towards his boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. But there were certain matters about their situation that affected his view of the famous woman that Hyoyeon so greatly praised to high heavens. Kyuhyun was most definitely certain had it not been for Hyoyeon's constant insertion of the subject of Krystal whenever he was around her, he would not even feel a thing towards her – after all, he barely even knew her.

"You'll ruin your pretty face with all of that scowling."

Expression immediately changing to a more blank look, Kyuhyun turned his head to see Donghae walking over to him, dressed in articles of clothing that resembled an era years before their time. "Donghae?"

Donghae gave a wry smirk. "Hey, Kyuhyunnie. The stylists are looking for you, so you better get a move on."

"You look so handsome, oppa!" Seulgi squealed loudly, practically bouncing over to the older man's side.  

"You do," Taemin agreed naturally.

The older man shook his head. "Thank you, you troublesome duo, but you need to get a move on before your stylists all come after you with threats of breathing fire. You know that the great stylist master Kim Ji-soo doesn't like to be kept waiting."

“Cho family, please!”

The twins happily raised their hands in response and hurried over to the stylist, who was waving them over with so much energy exerted. With a heavy sigh, Kyuhyun gave his boyfriend a short nod before following right after his siblings.

Donghae began to hum afterwards, walking over to where his friends were situated by the food table. Taking out his cellphone, he opened a new message that he had missed to see. He suddenly stopped in his tracks, turning around and walking out of the room, right straight out of the large old villa to the vast garden on the back.

It had been awhile since he had last had the chance to speak to his ex-girlfriend. Their relationship had ended horribly due to him breaking it off so suddenly without an actual clear explanation why other than he realized that he no longer loved her the way he did before. Memories of their years of good companionship were shattered so easily in that moment, which Krystal had emphasized by breaking a vase or two, along with his watch that she had bought for him.

Contrary to what the gossips spread around that time, they did not break up due to a third party. It was before the time he had met Kyuhyun, just a week right after he had graduated high school. But that false rumor had fueled such a bad reputation for Donghae, something that Jessica had cultivated once she heard the news. Only through the help of his friends did the rumor finally die down, being squashed by straightforward answers and a little bit of cursing.

“I thought you hated roses.”

“I still do. They're so overrated.” Turning around, Krystal smiled. “Hello, Donghae.”

"Krystal." Donghae returned the smile, walking over until he was standing next to her. "You're not going to throw those roses at me, are you? I still remember the time you threw my broken watch at me."

Krystal's smile widened as she laughed softly. "You deserved that broken watch being thrown at you, but no, I'm not going to throw anything at you. I just wanted to talk."

Their relationship had ended badly, but Donghae had rightfully been the one to swallow his pride in order to make amends. Guilt gnawed at him for making her cry, knowing that they did love each other at one point, and the least he could do was make amends between them. Despite what the public wanted to think, Donghae was far from the bad boy persona they had painted him as - a fact his friends and family knew so well, which was why they had been supportive of his relationship with Kyuhyun.

He had actually flown all the way to Los Angeles under the excuse he needed to visit another branch of his family's company over there just to be able to talk to Krystal, despite the hostility shown by Jessica towards him.

"How has your studies been going?" Donghae wondered, looking down at the roses and fingering the petals. "I heard that you take your bar exam next week."

Sighing heavily, Krystal tilted her head. "It's been tough, but I'm determined. I'm actually happy we have this photoshoot today because it gives me a break from all of that studying."

"You wanted to be a judge."

Krystal smiled. "Which is why I have to work hard," she sang before looking over at him. "What about you? It must be strange working for Kyuhyun-ssi. By now, you should be running your family's company or starting your own company somewhere. Didn't you always liked to tinker on the side?"

The older man laughed, recalling his high school days where he was overly excited showing Krystal his little inventions. "Yeah, but that phase passed when I entered college. Besides, I still help out at my family's company - just not in the way my father liked."

"Always such a troublemaker."

"Who's hoping that you can make your sister not throw out such harsh questions at me during interview."

Krystal huffed. "You know I can't do anything to prevent that. Once Noona makes up her mind, it's done and over with. You'll just have to persevere like every other interviewee did. I'm sure you'll be fine. You've always been good at changing the topic without anyone noticing it until it's too late."

"It's a handy trick that I'm very proud of."

"Such a sly fox you are." But Krystal still giggled, making Donghae chuckle alongside with her. "I heard your little brother finally made his debut."

Donghae repeatedly nodded. “Yeah, yeah, he has. It wasn't exactly the perfect setting, but at least he's seen what it's like out there.”

“You debuted him on a charity event. I don't even know why you did that.” Krystal smiled when Donghae let out a short laugh. “I can still remember when your umma broke the news about the IVF plan to you. You nearly fell off the stairs.”

“That was a very appropriate response. I was already nearing my twenties then. I couldn't imagine having that big of an age gap with a possible new sibling,” Donghae retorted, earning a chuckle from Krystal. “You should visit Umma some time. I'm sure she'd love to have a meal with you.”

It took a few seconds of silence before Krystal gave a nod in response, causing Donghae to smile softly at her. Despite what happened between them, they had a good relationship when they were together. Krystal was absolutely lovable to Donghae's family, and she had carved wonderful memories with them. Rekindling forgotten relationships she had with his parents would only help them establish how much they've put the past behind. And Donghae hoped that it would, once and for all, get it through Jessica's head that everyone's moved on.

“Yo, Donghae!” Hyukjae's all-too familiar voice called out, catching the attention of the former couple. “Oh, I see there's a reunion going on here. Did I interrupt something mushy?”

“You're still so loud, Hyukjae-oppa,” Krystal remarked.

“Always.” Shrugging, Hyukjae gave a soft pat on Donghae's back and gestured towards the villa. “Time to start with the shoot. Our photographer for today is the famous flamboyant and vivacious talent that is Kim Heechul.”

Donghae clicked his tongue, nearly stomping his feet as they began to walk back to the villa. “I dislike that guy. I remember the last shoot I did with him. He made me wear that weird fur boa thing. It was horrifying.”

"Well, what can you say? It's his specialty."

Rolling his eyes, the younger man simply shook his head, immediately heading over to where his siblings were waiting for him. He smiled when Sehun ran over to him in his tiny suit, clinging onto his older brother tightly.

"Ready?" Donghae asked the other two, earning nods.

Sehun beamed. "Can we get food after this, hyung? I'm hungry, and Hyo-noona won't let me eat my snacks."

"Yes, we can."

Squealing, Sehun hugged Donghae tightly, earning a few fond chuckles from the other occupants in the room. However, they all quieted when they heard Heechul's loud voice in the room, the tone alone demanding complete and utter attention as he finally began the photoshoot.

\---

Kyuhyun released a groan, nearly collapsing on the couch in the villa as he watched the others continue on with their shoot. He had nearly forgotten just how demanding Heechul can be, the mere thought of the man bringing shudders down Kyuhyun's spine whenever the photographer was in the room. Though he had nothing against him, Kyuhyun certainly didn't want to be anywhere near the older man.

"Alright, Donghae! Krystal! Both of you get your tushies over here!" he heard Heechul call out, causing Kyuhyun to sit up straight in time to see the two walking over to him.

His eyes practically drank in the sight of his boyfriend in a simple suit without the jacket, the waistcoat he was wearing perfectly and his hair styled the way Kyuhyun liked it. However, he couldn't deny the feeling he got as he watched the two of them pose together in what could be considered intimate.

"Hey, get that look off your face."

Turning his head, Kyuhyun saw Ryeowook - the younger brother of Hyukjae, walking over to him. "What look?"

"That look you get whenever you see Donghae-hyung with Krystal," his best friend told him quietly as he sat down next to the younger man.

“I don't have that look,” Kyuhyun retorted. “This is my resting face.”

Ryeowook tilted his head a bit. “No, your resting face is that of Dracula about to suck some blood off an innocent virgin. Right now, you look like you're about to go on a corner and cry.”

“I do not–”

Kyuhyun stopped himself once the memory of him doing exactly that hit him like a boulder. It had been during the Lee family's portrait shoot. He had dropped by on the time that he and Donghae had agreed to meet, just when they were about to end the session. The moment Hyoyeon saw him, she released her number one attack ammunition on him by mentioning Krystal. That one simple comment led to a whole night of silent treatment with his boyfriend, with a short moment of fallen tears that he made sure Donghae never saw.

“Hey,” Ryeowook called, snapping his fingers in front of the younger man. “How are you doing? The attack was just two days ago. You probably should've canceled this schedule. I'm sure they would understand."

Managing a smile, Kyuhyun shook his head. “I'd rather just get this over and done with than to let it dangle over my head. Besides, I'm going to be on the cover, so I can't bail on them. And the make up artist really hid the injury quite well. Also, I'm good. Thanks for asking.”

“I'm really glad you're safe. That was really horrifying, and I'm certain you're still trying to get over it,” Ryeowook told his best friend in a soft tone. “This morning, I heard Appa talking to someone on the phone. I think the families are planning on having a meeting about this to spread awareness on what's going on. They think it's a hate crime.”

“Hate crime?” The young CEO made a face. “Our families have been stocking up on riches for years. Everyone hates us. Why start attacking now?”

The older man shrugged. “That's what I heard. We'll see in a few days, I guess. But anyway, if you'll excuse me, Hyung and I are up.”

Kyuhyun watched his best friend walk away from him to stand in the middle of the white screen set up. Breathing out, he looked down on his pants and began to attempt to flatten the creased parts, somewhat annoyed at how imperfect it made his trousers look. He only stopped his actions when he felt his cellphone vibrate, prompting him to check the message that had arrived.

 

 _You look really good._  

_Hae_

 

Kyuhyun smiled slightly, fingers already working on typing a message back to him.

 

_So do you. Is it just natural for you to look so handsome?_

_Kyu_

 

Sometimes, the young Chairman just wondered how well his boyfriend knew him, especially when it seemed as if he needed comfort the most. Even back in their college days, it had been Donghae who mostly took care of him, dragging him out from their dorm room in order to get something decent to eat other than ramen, and making sure he didn't stay up all night studying for a test. Back then, the two of them hadn't immediately gotten along; in fact, Kyuhyun had made sure to keep a certain distance away from Donghae until one night when they both stayed up late and just started talking.

It marked as Kyuhyun's descent into falling in love with Lee Donghae.

Their relationship had grown so comfortable that it was why Kyuhyun even suggested Donghae to work for him in the first place. There was no other person he could trust that knew him inside and out, knowing his preferences, and simply knowing what he needed without even being told.

He snapped out of his thoughts when another text message came in.

 

_I think we both know the answer to that._

_Look alive, though, because I heard that your interview is in ten minutes. Wouldn't want my pretty boyfriend to have a scowl on his pretty face._

_Hae_

 

Kyuhyun shook his head at that, a smile on his lips before he heard the sound of a TV being turned on, followed by the sound of Heechul's yelling.

"Turn that shit off!"

"Sorry, boss, but there's been saying that there's an urgent message from the President!" a worker yelled back. "It's on in a minute!"

Trailing his gaze over to the screen, Kyuhyun curiously stared at it when the flash news appeared, proving that there really was something important that was to be said by the President. He was most certainly not that interested in whatever it was that was to be announced as he learned time and time again that the Blue House tended to embellish most of the things they report, making the appearance that even the smallest of things mattered. But when he saw the Mayor of Seoul standing alongside the different ministers of the country, his interest was suddenly piqued.

It started out quite well and seemed to be just like any other press conference or briefing that the Blue House delivered from time to time. The indication that the topic had shifted to a serious matter began when the President mentioned the recent attacks, successfully capturing the attention of everyone in the room. As they were in a gathering of more than just one or two heirs of big businesses, it was inevitable for them to be interested in what the government had to say about it.

 

_“We've received reports that indicate that there has been treason within our business district. One or more of our country's powerful corporations may be leaking information to our neighboring countries, and the attacks on the known citizens could very well be planned scenarios.”_

 

“What the fuck?” Hyukjae shouted. “What the hell is this dumbass talking about?!”

 

_“Due to this, I am deeply disheartened to announce that we are in government lockdown, and we are requesting all of these big corporations to cooperate with us while we do our subsequent investigation about the terror attacks.”_

 

“No way!”

“Oh, hell no!”

 

_“All books will be opened and thorough investigation in all activities of these corporations will be under scrutiny by an independent task force our Ministry of Justice had assembled. It is with deep regret that I tell you, my citizens, that all of South Korea may soon be under attack if we can not prevent this breach of trust.”_

 

“They're opening all of our bank accounts?” Siwon looked evidently disturbed. “Are they going to freeze our accounts, too?”

“They can not do that!” Hyoyeon yelled out. “That's against the law! We didn't even do anything!”

There were angry protests all around the room, but Kyuhyun kept his own mouth shut as he continued to listen. His eyes were concentrated on the President, eyebrows furrowing.

 

_“Until this matter is resolved, I ask you to cooperate. The sooner we can get to the bottom of this, the faster we can rid our country of these attacks.”_

 

Off to the side, Heechul snorted. "If they do find out some big corporation is leaking information, then there's no doubt it'll reflect badly on all of the socialites."

"Hyung, what's happening?" Kyuhyun heard Sehun's small voice squeak out, turning his head to see his boyfriend holding his little brother in his arms while the older stared at the TV screen. "Why's everyone so angry?"

The young Chairman tuned out the conversation, not wanting to eavesdrop as he looked back at the screen. This time, it was the mayor who stepped up.

 

_“As Mayor of Seoul, I am personally requesting the biggest corporations in our country to be open to this matter and fully cooperate. I assure you all that this will be handled professionally and swiftly.”_

 

"What?!" Hyoyeon screeched.

Kyuhyun froze at hearing his family's company mentioned, feeling the twins appear by his side.

"Oppa..." Seulgi muttered, holding onto Taemin's arm tightly.

Siwon looked offended. "Do they think we had something to do with this?!"

"They're going after our friends and their families," Ryeowook commented, clinging onto his older brother. "What's going on?"

 

_“There is another matter we are looking into as well. “_

 

The president was back, his expression solemn.

 

_“It has come to my attention that there has been a 'vigilante' on the streets, known as the Phantom. Due to his actions, Seoul Police and I have agreed that until proven otherwise, this Phantom will be marked for arrest. His vigilante actions cannot go unpunished. If anyone has any information, please go to the nearest police and tell them everything you know. He is a dangerous individual.”_

 

"Bullshit!" Hyukjae seethed. "He's the only reason why Kyuhyun and Yunho-ssi got out of that hostage situation in the first place!"

As everyone continued to watch the press conference, Kyuhyun stood up from the couch and began to walk out of the room. He stared down at his cellphone, tapping on the screen numerous times before landing on his father's contact name. Behind him, he could hear his twin siblings talking with each other while they followed him down the stairs of the villa, both of them throwing out guesses as to what was going on and what would happen to them. Just hearing their words made Kyuhyun sick, knowing that they should not be talking about such matters at their age, but it seemed to be inevitable.

“Hello, Appa.”

\- - -

Various meetings with different bodies of government followed Kyuhyun and Donghae when they left the photoshoot. Unable to even have a meal with their friends, they all parted ways to go to their respective homes to discuss the current crisis that had befallen upon them. Like a company downfall, every single one of their families was on alert, calling out mass media coverage regarding the current situation of their companies and the steps they would all be taking.

Donghae's family had decided to postpone the announcement of Mr. Lee's candidacy. With the current situation at hand, it was better to halt all of their plans for the time being. The risk of jeopardizing their visions for the future of the campaign was at an all-time high as the government had already sent out letters of request to open up all of their accounts and disclose all of the assets. It was a necessary move to not only protect their family, but to also protect their future.

The Cho family had taken everything as calmly as they could. Kyuhyun's father was more than willing to open their books for the independent body to snoop around in, but he had advised Kyuhyun to put up a fight if ever they requested full disclosure of his company's records. While it may seem like questionable move, Mr. Cho had explicitly stated that his son had that right to secrecy as a private citizen and it was never wise to be so obedient with government requests. There was still so much they needed to learn about the investigation that was launched, and Mr. Cho was planning on finding out more about it. Protecting Kyuhyun's personal assets was a step into that direction.

It was already late into the evening when Donghae found himself back home in his shared apartment with his boyfriend. Entering the room, he was greeted with dim lights, a clear indication that Kyuhyun had been home ahead of him for quite some time. He hummed at the thought of seeing the younger man again and already made his way towards the bedroom while unbuttoning his shirt. Poking his head inside, Donghae smiled when his eyes caught sight of Kyuhyun on the bed, watching the late night news on the TV.

“Baby, I'm home.”

"Welcome home," Kyuhyun greeted, a smile reflexively coming onto his face as Donghae joined him on the bed. He happily accepted the kiss the older man gave him before Donghae pulled away. "How was the meeting with your family?"

Donghae breathed out heavily. "Appa is postponing his candidacy, and we've decided to cooperate with the investigation for now. But he said there's a chance that they'll start to dig deeper."

The younger man immediately looked worried, and Donghae hated to cause that expression to mask his boyfriend's face.

Both of them had seen their fair share of attacks, had seen their fathers stress out and worry about what the outcome will be. However, it was a world they lived in now, especially since it was their family's companies that would be under full investigation until the matter was solved.

Kyuhyun scooted closer to Donghae when the older man finally joined him on bed, leaning against him. "This thing has completely gone out of hand. Appa told me to make sure I use my civil rights if the investigation starts to pry deeper into our lives."

Sighing heavily, Donghae pressed a kiss on top of his head. "Best to follow his advice, but let's not worry about it for now. We're home, and worrying about it will cause us to stress out. The best move to make is to go on with life as normal."

His boyfriend whined but nodded, clinging onto Donghae tighter.

“But I guess this puts a huge dent on my plans for our anniversary,” Donghae hummed, looking disappointed. He shook his head when his boyfriend pulled away to look at him better “Yeah, it most definitely puts a dent on it.”

“What do you mean?” Kyuhyun asked, his expression one of great curiosity. “Our anniversary?”

Smiling wide, Donghae kissed the younger's nose. “I got us tickets to Fiji.”

“Fiji?” Kyuhyun squeaked in surprise. “Really? Fiji? That's amazing! I want to go!”

“I'm happy that you're excited about it, but we can't go anymore since we're stuck with this investigation going on.” Donghae chuckled when he saw Kyuhyun pout. “It's going to be a lame anniversary, but we'll make it work. I do promise you that once we're clear, we will definitely go straight to Fiji to celebrate properly.”

Seeing the hint of determination in the older man's face brought a smile on Kyuhyun's lips. Nodding in agreement, he gave his boyfriend a tight, affectionate hug, which was returned with an equally comforting one. Donghae's hugs were always so sweet and warm, and he loved every single one of them, most especially the ones given specifically to him only.

They were a very affectionate couple in private. With little to no room to be one in the eyes of the public (and sometimes, even their friends and families), they poured out all their love and attention meant for each other during the times they're together at their home. That was one of the reasons why they loved to be in their apartment instead of out socializing. Their time together was precious to them, and they always made the most out of it with every minute that passed.

“I am going to take a hot bath now since it's been a long and tiring day. I want to rid myself of the things that was put on me during the photoshoot,” Donghae said when the late night news ended. “Want to join me?”

Lowering the remote control after switching the channel to a lifestyle show on cable, Kyuhyun nodded. “I was waiting for you to take one with me.”

“Well, that's good then.”

Taking the younger man by the hand, Donghae walked the two of them inside their bathroom and hurriedly turned on the water to fill the tub. He faced his boyfriend and slowly helped him out of his clothes, keeping their gazes on each other even with him making goofy faces at him. Chuckling, he playfully covered his eyes when Kyuhyun was about to be completely nude, jokingly telling him to get on the tub so he wouldn't see anything.

“Are you in?” Donghae asked out, still covering his eyes. “I don't want to seem like a pervert. I know how you want to wait until we're both ready.”

Kyuhyun snorted loudly, turning off the water and filling the tub with bath salts and gel. “It's warmer than we're used to, but it's good. Come on.”

Donghae didn't waste any moment to obey, immediately joining the younger into the bathtub. Humming, he smiled when Kyuhyun maneuvered himself until he was seated properly against Donghae's chest. The older chuckled, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend as Kyuhyun snuggled against him.

"Comfy now?" Donghae asked in a playful tone, earning an eager nod from the younger. "I'm glad."

If Kyuhyun was to be honest, he'd admit that taking a bath with his boyfriend was one of his favorite things to do. There, it could feel like they were in their own little world, untouched as a protective bubble prevented it so. Neither of them were in a rush to go anywhere, and neither of them wanted to go anywhere.

Kyuhyun was starving for his boyfriend's touch — a fact that wasn't unusual after being busy for so long without having the proper time to spend with Donghae. It was why he never worked such long hours at his company, always making sure to go home early enough where the two of them have the opportunity to do whatever they wanted. Sometimes, just being together was simply all they ever wanted.

"What're you thinking of?" Donghae wondered.

Kyuhyun smiled, humming when he felt the older man start to massage his arms. "Just how lucky I am to have you."

"How sweet." Pressing a kiss against Kyuhyun's neck, Donghae smiled. "Though, I'm sure it's the other way around."

The younger shook his head furiously. "No way! I'm just honored enough that you even glanced my way."

Laughing, Donghae kissed his cheek, hands slipping lower. "Well then, how about I show you how much I completely adore you?"

Donghae was the type who wanted to try out new and different things that broke the norm. When it came to sex, he was never out of new ideas, which Kyuhyun learned the first week they started dating each other. It was not to say that there were weird things that had been used or done, but it was always such a big mystery to the younger man how his boyfriend could even think of anything new to try with him.

Sex wasn't even the only thing that Donghae was adventurous with. Extreme activities and sports were just two things that Kyuhyun had been introduced to when they got together. There was one time during a date when the older man had surprised him with a bungee jumping activity, much to his utter shock. It ended up being one of their best dates, but also one that Kyuhyun would somehow not want to remember anymore.

“Okay, bubble face means you don't want me to show you,” Donghae mumbled slowly before wiping the bubbles that Kyuhyun slathered him with off his face. “That fine. I can wait until after we're done with our bath.”

The younger man chuckled. “You've tried that one with me so many times. You really should give it up. Bathroom sex is bizarre.”

“Why is it bizarre? Other people do it all the time,” Donghae argued. “It's normal and according to numerous magazines, it's sexy.”

“Stop reading your sister's magazines. Those rags are shit,” Kyuhyun retorted. “And it's bizarre because this is where you take a dump. How can it be sexy?”

“Once again, baby, your imagination is failing you. You really should read light novels,” Donghae advised, receiving a questioning look from the younger man. “And once again, I swear I did not read that terrible book, nor did I watch it.”

Donghae was the reader between the two of them. While Kyuhyun busied himself with files and documents that kept on piling up whenever there was a new client, the older man spent his time reading books to pass the time. As his work as a secretary had minimal involvement with the company itself and more to do with personally assisting his boyfriend in his day to day work, there were certain times wherein he'd find himself a moment to spare despite seemingly being always on the go everyday at the company. When Kyuhyun's locked himself in his office to study contracts and their reports, Donghae found his free period. They were short but long enough to give him a breather.

“At this point, I honestly won't be surprised if you did.”

“Hey!” Donghae exclaimed, looking a bit offended. “I have taste in movies and reading materials.”

“Can you really say that when you openly admit to reading Cosmopolitan?” the younger man questioned before patting his boyfriend's cheek. “You're like the anti-jock type, but I'm not so sure if that's a good or bad thing. Either way, at least you're handsome and hot.”

“Why, thank you, baby. I always appreciate your kind compliments.”

“No, you don't,” Kyuhyun countered, receiving a confused look from his boyfriend. “You gave me an uneasy look when we first met in college, when I told you that you looked nice."

"In my defense," Donghae spoke up. "It was the first time another guy actually complimented me. All I've been told was how much other men envied me, and I was very much used to them trying to bring me down."

Kyuhyun giggled. "Well, good thing you met me then. Who knows how much longer other men will try to bring you down."

"Now you're just being mean."

Donghae smiled when Kyuhyun laughed, the sound so joyful and genuine that it made the older man simply want to tuck him into a tiny little pocket. The adorable side of his boyfriend was something only he got to see, even though Kyuhyun's aegyo did come out often when it came to his mother. But Kyuhyun liked to present himself in a mature way, not wanting others to take advantage of his young age.

It was what Donghae had initially had to get past as Kyuhyun didn't trust him in the beginning. However, that one night managed to break the walls between them, forming a relationship both of them held deeply in their hearts.

"Oh, we've got an invite from Jongwoon-hyung," Donghae commented, suddenly remembering. "He's throwing a gala."

"Gala? Is that a good idea with the investigation?"

"He said he's not going to allow something like this to ruin his sister's birthday party. He'd go through hell before letting Wendy down."

Kyuhyun snorted. "Such a kind older brother."

"At least he's making a statement."

"What? 'I'm ready so come and get me?'"

Donghae chuckled. "No. He's not going to let this thing scare him because doing so would mean weakness — and that's something none of us can show."

“Well, we're caught between two hard places the moment the President called out our families. It's not something we can just tread on lightly.” Tilting his head upward, Kyuhyun let out a deep sigh. “I can already imagine all the days I won't be able to work. That sounds so boring.”

“You work too much. The days off will do you more good than harm,” the older man told him gently, sliding his hands down his boyfriend's arms to reach his fingers. “I would love to have you to myself without work being in the way.”

“Work has never been in the way.”

Donghae made a sound. “Your work is my only competition for your attention. It's either work or me every single day.”

“That makes absolutely no sense. But if you really want to go there, of course you win miles ahead – not that there's any form of competition here. You're my boyfriend, after all.” Humming softly, Kyuhyun turned his head to press a quick kiss on the older man's lips. A bright smile appeared on his face when he saw Donghae gaze lovingly at him. “So what should we do starting tomorrow then?”

“We'll figure it out eventually,” Donghae hummed, kissing the younger's neck just before the intercom phone rang right beside the tub. “Now, what could the front desk want with us at this late hour?” Reaching back, he answered the phone and pressed it against his ear, hearing the melodic voice of the always enthusiastic receptionist of their building. “What?”

_“Miss Jessica Jung is here to see you, sir. She said she's here for an interview.”_

"Of course she is," Donghae mumbled. "Tell her to reschedule in the morning. It's much too late to do an interview now."

There was a brief pause _. "Sir, she's insisting."_

Kyuhyun gave his boyfriend a worried look when Donghae sighed heavily, almost pouting when the older man got out of the bathtub, rearranging himself as he watched him.

"Then tell her to wait at least ten minutes. I am not going to do an interview in my own home."

_"Yes, sir."_

"You're going to go through with this?" Kyuhyun asked the moment the call disconnected.

Donghae frowned. "I don't want to, but the sooner I do this, the sooner I can get Jessica out of my hair. At least she's honest when she does her interviews."

"No need for gossip, right?"

"Right." Leaning down, Donghae shared a quick kiss with his boyfriend. "Just don't worry, okay? I might be a little late coming home tonight, but that's a given. So, just go to bed without me."

Kyuhyun made a face, but nodded, sharing one more kiss with the older before Donghae left the bathroom. He sighed to himself, staring at the clock embedded in the wall above the mirror.

\---

During the time Donghae dated Krystal, one thing that stood out to him right from the very beginning was that her sister Jessica was a spitfire. Behind her seemingly angelic face that seemed to always be in a blank look was a woman who could and would break anyone's neck if she wanted to. It was a frightening concept that he had formed inside his mind, which influenced how he acted whenever he was in the Jungs' home.

That changed when he broke up with Krystal.

Jessica took it worse, though it was a given as she's the older sister who'd always been very protective of her younger sibling. It had been a nightmare to be around her during the days, weeks, and months after the breakup, unlike Krystal who had managed to reach the stage of moving on quicker than anyone expected. With Jessica, it was like constantly being under attack in the middle of a war.

Donghae lightly thumbed the handle of his cup of coffee while he idly listened to Jessica read back to him the remaining questions she was going to need to ask him. The formalities of the interview was already done, and he knew that whatever she was reading to him then was all bullshit. What she'd really be asking or talking about was the breakup that was years in the past. He had prepared himself for that and was ready for the real thing that she was most definitely going to spit out.

It was the only way to live through Jessica's presence.

“Okay, then, my next question is regarding your living arrangements,” Jessica spoke up, putting down the paper to look at the older man. “Why do you live with Chairman Cho Kyuhyun? And describe your home set up, putting emphasis on your household activities.”

"Wouldn't that be considered invasion of privacy if I mention household activities?" Donghae wondered, tilting his head to the side.

Jessica flashed him a smile — the perfect similarity of a shark's grin. "The people only wish to know, Donghae-ssi. After all, many people are quite curious why you choose to live with your boss."

Taking a sip of his coffee, the older blinked slowly. "Well, then, I live with Kyuhyun because it makes it easier as his personal assistant to handle his life accordingly. Plus, it gives me more access in handling his workload if we live in the same place together. As for our household setup, we divide the tasks between ourselves to keep the house clean."

"I'm getting the feeling you're trying to avoid the question."

"Never, Jessica." Donghae flashed her a smile. "If you want more, then I'll say that I handle all the cooking while Chairman Cho does the cleaning."

"How incredibly vague. Do tell me how it is to live with Chairman Cho. He's been nicknamed the Overlord by the people in the business world. Is he different at home?"

It hadn't escaped Donghae's attention that Jessica was subtly prying into his life with Kyuhyun. He knew that there were people who were curious about their setup — the employees in the office were proof of that. However, throughout the years, Donghae had managed to deflect any questions thrown his way, but Jessica was smarter than that. She matched him on terms of quick wit, able to easily challenge him if need be.

And that was what made it difficult.

"He's still the same — bossy as ever. But he does like to go to sleep early just so that he has an early start the next day."

Jessica gave him a look, but nodded anyway. "Okay, one more question to ask before I go onwards to the last one. Why do you—"

Their attentions became caught when they heard the shattering of glass, followed by people screaming.

Donghae reacted quickly, pulling Jessica with him as he kicked the table over, using it as a shield just as he heard gunfire blare. He carefully peeked over the table, ducking again when the gunfire resumed.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jessica demanded, clinging onto Donghae.

Donghae cursed to himself, jaw clenching as he held Jessica close until the gunfire finally stopped. He dated to peek again, this time seeing a car hastily drive away from the destroyed cafe. Breaking out, he turned to Jessica. "You okay?"

"Just peachy," Jessica breathed out shakily, her fingers tightening around Donghae's arm. "What the hell was that?!"

"It seems like another anti-corporate gang."

"The only heir and heiress in this cafe is you and me," the younger pointed out. "Which means the two of us were the intended victims."

 

Donghae frowned, looking around to survey the cafe. "Do you think you can call the ambulance? A few people has been shot."

The reporter looked far from agreeing, but eventually nodded as she reluctantly pried her fingers away from Donghae in order to grab her cellphone, wasting no time to call the ambulance and authorities while Donghae went to check on the other victims.

Almost the whole place had been destroyed by the bullets showered against the glass walls of the coffee house. Death's scent lingered around the place, but thankfully, no one was injured bad enough to be on the brink of it. But the whole place still looked like a dump so frightening, with numerous people holding on to their injuries in an attempt to stop the bloodshed from becoming worse.

Donghae stepped aside after placing an injured man on a chair, making sure he was stable enough on his own before looking around the whole place again. His eyes narrowed when he caught sight of a bullet stuck in the metal part of the cash register. Checking around him, he cautiously made his way over to the register and inspected the bullet curiously. He bit his tongue and grabbed a couple of napkins from the side; using them, he forcefully pulled out the bullet, making sure to hide it quickly out of anyone's sight.

In a matter of moments after that, the ambulances and police finally arrived, creating more chaos all over the place. Quietly, Donghae moved around, offering his words to anyone of the persons in charge who asked him questions about himself or what had happened. He decided to cooperate fully, allowing the medics to check on him for any injuries. It was the best thing to do in that moment, which made the whole process easier for him.

It was only when he was already on the way back to his apartment when he remembered about Jessica. A quick check on his cellphone informed him that she had been taken to the hospital due to signs of shock. Though he felt a little bad about it, Donghae chose to continue on home, not wanting to get involved with her any longer. There were far more important things for him to worry about.

_“Yo.”_

Stepping through the automatic glass doors of the apartment building, Donghae managed to give a short nod to the security personnel and receptionists on the way towards the elevators. “I'm going to send you prints of the bullet in the attack.”

_“Oh, yeah, you were just in the news. You all right?”_

“I'm very well,” the secretary replied, hurriedly pressing the close button as soon as he stepped inside the elevator. “Check the bullet for any clues and give me a report ASAP.”

_“Got it. But, hey, what happened to your interview?”_

"I guess it'll have to be postponed for now," Donghae remarked, sighing a little. "She's been taken to the hospital due to shock, so it might take a while for her to recover. Do you have access to the street feed?"

_"You know I do. Don't worry, I'm already on it. Though, I'm wondering why they'd go all out just to get rid of you and Jessica."_

"So we were the targets then?"

_"Most likely. I drew up some correlations between the attacks and the victims. There's definitely a pattern here, but I'll have to get back to you on that. I'll send you everything I have once I have enough information to prove my theory."_

"Alright. I'll send you the prints later."

Ending the call, Donghae stepped out of the elevator once it landed on his floor. He sighed softly, already imagining how Kyuhyun would react once he found out about the attack and hoped his boyfriend was asleep like he suggested.

As he entered their loft, the lights were all turned off, making Donghae relax just a smidgen. He immediately headed into the bedroom to check on the younger, smiling when he saw Kyuhyun tucked into bed already and chuckled when he noticed what it was he was cuddling with.

Heart feeling at ease, Donghae quietly made his way upstairs to the study, heading to the far back that was kept out of place. He took the bullet out from his pocket and placed it on a scanner, waiting a few minutes as it finished the scan before it pinged, a message the prints had been sent.

He sighed, quickly getting rid of the bullet before Kyuhyun could find and decided to head to bed.

He had a feeling the morning would get busy in no time.

  



End file.
